In Brief

Councillors 'should not be ashamed of allowances'

HULL: A city politician says councillors should "not be ashamed" of receiving extra pay or allowances for taking on additional responsibilities.

Labour councillor Rose Nicola spoke during a debate triggered by Liberal Democrat motion criticising the potential for councillors acting as directors on the city council's wholly-owned building firm KWL to be paid £5,000-a-year on top of their normal council allowances.

Cllr Nicola said: "Being paid for having extra responsibilities like this is something we as councillors should be ashamed of."

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Other Labour members accused the Lib Dems of hypocrisy over the issue, claiming their councillors had accepted directors' remuneration and special responsibility allowances without questioning it while in charge at the Guildhall.

But Lib Dem councillor Eliza Mann, who moved the motion, said: "I still think it is just wrong. I am glad that some councillors on the KWL board have said that they will not take the remuneration. I can only hope that the other councillors are principled enough to make the same decision."

HULL: Cat owners are being urged to get their pets micro-chipped so lost animals can be found.

Vet staff at Hull PDSA PetAid hospital say the number of cats brought into the veterinary hospital without identification has doubled in the past two years.

Every month, injured pets without owners are brought into the Brunswick Avenue hospital for treatment.

But with no means of identification, the chances of a happy reunion are slim.

PDSA head nurse Helen Darnell said: "PDSA is not a rehoming charity and dumped animals take up space in the hospital that is desperately needed to treat poorly pets.

"Animals that are brought here without a microchip are much less likely to be reunited with their owners.

"So not only are they often injured or sick, they also have to suffer the pain of separation from their owners."

For more information, call 01482 224452.