COUNCILLORS in Oxfordshire are almost all being paid less than the national average in allowances.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has released a report showing the most and least expensive councillors in the country.

But Oxfordshire’s five district councils and county council were towards the bottom of the rankings.

All were below the national average – £4,640 a year for district councillors and £9,919 for county councils – except for Oxford City Council .

The county council pays a basic allowance of £8,294, which is just £1,208 more than the cheapest county council, neighbouring Northamptonshire, on £7,086.

And Oxford City Council pays all councillors £4,713, less than half of the £9,902 paid by Bolsover in Derbyshire, the UK’s most generous district council.

TaxPayers’ Alliance political director Jonathan Isaby said: “We certainly hope that by publishing this data which has never been available in one place before, we can give people the power to hold these people, particularly those paying over the average, to account.

“We’re saying look at examples like Oxfordshire, where most of the councils are functioning perfectly well but paying less than the average.”

South Oxfordshire pays £2,900, the county’s lowest allowance, closely followed by the Vale of White Horse , which pays £3,828.96.

Cherwell District Council gives its members £4,155 and West Oxfordshire hands out £4,350 to each councillor every year.