Total expenses claimed by councillors sitting on East Cambridgeshire District Council fell in the last financial year - by half a per cent.

According to figures released by the authority, councillors pocketed a total of £213,298.36 in the 2013/14 financial year, compared to a total of £214,379.08 claimed the previous year.

The total bill to taxpayers fell by £1,080.72 – or about 0.5 per cent year-on-year.

Compared with 2009/10, however, when councillors claimed £250,032.35, the 2013/14 total represents a drop in claims of almost 15 per cent.

The latest figures show that each councillor is entitled to a basic allowance of £4,127.99, with a range of additional allowances available to them, including subsistence, IT and travel expenses.

By far the biggest claimant in 2013/14 was Conservative council leader James Palmer, who collected £13,634.06.

The second highest claimant was Cllr Tony Cornell, Conservative chairman of the council, who collected £8,187.52. Completing the top three was Conservative councillor for the Fordham villages, Michael Allan, who collected £7,826.33.

A total of five councillors, of the authority’s 39 members, claimed not a penny more than their basic allowance: Conservatives Sue Willows, Christine and David Ambrose Smith, Liberal Democrat Lindsey Harris and unaligned councillor Ian Allen.

To view the expenses in full, visit www.eastcambs.gov.uk