HOW dare the Southampton councillors announce that they intend to award themselves huge pay rises when they have cut the pay of council workers or have given them the very minimum in the way of increases?

The timing of the announcement is, to say the least, extremely bad.

The councillors may say that they are saving taxpayers' money but where do they imagine that their pay comes from if not the taxpayers?

If they are to receive such large increases, I suggest, that, in common with other public employees, that these rises are phased in over a period of time, say five years.

R A E TILLY, Southampton.