DORSET'S 330 councillors are free to express their views on the controversial council merger issue while the public consultation is happening.

Council chief executives have confirmed councillors have not been 'muzzled' during the process, even though some thought they were.

But the councillors cannot predetermine or prejudge the outcome of the consultation before they debate what to do about restructure in January.

The chief executive of Bournemouth Tony Williams told the Echo: "We have alerted all 330 councillors that they can legitimately campaign, but they need to end up saying that it is subject to the discussion and that they are keeping an open mind."

And his Christchurch and East Dorset counterpart David McIntosh added: "Members have been advised on this. Clearly they are community leaders and residents will ask them what they think and they need to be able to respond to that without going too far and being in danger of predetermination.

"If a councillor says something like 'over my dead body' then they couldn't reasonably be said to be unfettered when it comes to the debate in January."

Mr McIntosh said he hoped councillors had been reassured that the consultation was "a well organised and professional piece of work which will genuinely help us understand the views and needs of the people of Dorset, because why would we do anything else?"

Some councillors had told the Echo they believed they were not able to express an opinion.

"There has been genuine confusion because we have been told conflicting things," said one. "Some of us think there has been some political mischief making going on here in a bid to limit public opposition."

The consultation which started yesterday outlines proposals to reduce the current nine councils in Dorset to two unitary authorities, one in the conurbation and the other in the rest of Dorset. This could mean the merger of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch or just Bournemouth and Poole together.

Council leaders who have drawn up the consultation document denied it is skewed towards any particular option but they have effectively ruled out the idea of doing nothing and also say a single Dorset council is "not appropriate."

Meanwhile there is growing concern about various aspects of the consultation.

In an email to Conservative colleagues, Christchurch councillor Sue Spittle says: "We are being rushed and there are other groups of councils in England sharing our reluctance to make such a drastic decision."