BOURNEMOUTH councillors can claim 40p per mile for travel by car or bike, the latest published scheme of allowances reveals.

Members can also collect 24p per mile for motorcycle costs, irrespective of engine size, and up to £142.91 for the cost of an overnight stay in London on borough business.

An overnight stay elsewhere has an upper limit of £107.18, and separate meal costs are £7.14 for breakfast, £10.72 for lunch, £5.35 for tea and £14.29 for dinner.

Members can also claim up to £7.98 per hour for the costs of childcare or dependant care.

The new figures, which come into effect on April 1, are the same as last year after members backed a freeze.

The expenses claims sit on top of the annual allowance members receive in exchange for their service.

The basic allowance at Bournemouth, received by all councillors, is £9,290.60, but members receive considerably more in the form of 'special responsibility allowances' for serving in certain posts or committees.

The leader of the borough, currently Cllr John Beesley, is granted an additional £17,652, the deputy leader, currently Cllr Nicola Greene, an additional £13,239, and cabinet members an additional £11,034.

The chairman of the planning and licensing boards, Cllrs David Kelsey and Andrew Morgan respectively, can claim an extra £8,826, and their deputies an extra £4,413.

The appeals board chairman, currently Cllr Lynda Price, picks up £6,621 and their deputy £3,309.

Chairmen of overview and scrutiny panels, and of the audit and governance and standards committees, receive an extra £4,413.

Ordinary members of the planning and licensing boards pick up an extra £1,764.

Also, the leaders of political groups can claim an additional £1,764 plus £176.40 for each other member of the group.

In practice Bournemouth council has only three opposition members, and only one is a member of a political party, Cllr Simon Bull of the Green Party.

Council political groups require at least two members.