'SHOT down in flames', is how a disappointed Poole councillor described an attempt to help boost the low wages of 110 council staff.

Cllr Phil Eades had called on colleagues to support a Liberal Democrat motion to pay its staff at least the living wage of £7.85 an hour.

However this was heavily defeated at the first full meeting of Borough of Poole, following last month's election.

"It must be disappointing and frustrating for those people who work for us," he said. He said some had been forced to use food banks, take out pay day loans and apply to the local union hardship fund to survive.

He said it would cost £55,000 a year, or less than £1 per household in the borough, to add to the council wage bill of £50million a year.

"It really is a small sum of money in order to look after those who are paid the lowest rate of all council staff."

Cllr Eades said it was a red herring to claim it would cost more, because they were only talking about staff directly employed by the council and had no influence over what contractors paid their staff.

While the living wage has no official status, the lower minimum wage, currently £6.50 for over 21s, is set nationally by the government's independent low pay commission. Borough of Poole pays grade scales with rates across four grades ranging from £6.99 to £9 an hour.

Cllr Janet Walton, council leader said: "Poole pays all staff above the minimum wage and during the five years of austerity the weighting of pay increases has favoured the lower paid workers.

"But regretfully the Medium Term Financial situation indicates a need to save £18.5 million over the next four years, if implemented the living wage could increase this by about £2.5million a year and is not affordable.”

The Conservative administration says there would be direct costs to the council payroll and the knock on effect of the huge amount of contracted work the council places in social services and other areas.

It says its lowest paid staff currently get 7.5 per cent above the national minimum wage.