A COUNTY councillor elected on the promise of slashing the authority’s allowance bill has been branded a hypocrite – after pocketing almost £15,000 during his first year in office.

UKIP councillor for North Andover, Timothy Rolt, was elected last May after pledging to reduce all allowances handed out by Hampshire County Council by 50 per cent.

The vow featured heavily in his election campaign, appearing in his personal manifesto and on flyers distributed to residents around the town, helping him wrestle the seat from former Conservative councillor Pam Mutton by just ten votes.

But now Councillor Rolt has been accused of “pulling the wool over voters’ eyes” after receiving a total of £14,884 in addition to his personal income between May 2013 and the end of the financial year in March 2014.

In council documents seen by the Andover Advertiser, Cllr Rolt is confirmed to have accepted a basic allowance of £10,841, plus a £4,043 special responsibility allowance because of his role as UKIP’s culture and communities spokesman. The information is recorded in Hampshire County Council’s official report on its Members’ Allowances Scheme, which details each councillor’s claims during 2013/14.

During that time the maximum amount that could be claimed in basic allowances was £12,000.30 per councillor, but Mr Rolt received his full entitlement after being elected in May 2013, despite having the option to forego part or all of his allowance.

This week Cllr Rolt defended his position to accept the sum, but admitted that residents who voted for him “might be disappointed” with his actions.

In a lengthy written statement provided to the Advertiser, Cllr Rolt said: “I made this remark without any real understanding of the time and energy that would be required to fulfil adequately one’s responsibility as a county councillor.

“I conservatively estimate that I have spent over 1,600 hours and driven over 3,000 miles in the course of my duties over the year.

“On the surface, my actions when set against my election leaflet do seem a bit hypocritical.

“But I feel that I have more than made up for it in my actions since and will not be bullied into halving my allowance.”

Conservative councillor Phil North, who represents Alamein at Test Valley Borough Council, slammed Cllr Rolt’s actions.

He said: “This is a matter of trust. It is a clear case of a UKIP councillor saying one thing and doing precisely the other once elected.

“They have been making pledges in public then doing completely the opposite when elected as councillors. Trying to pull the wool over voters’ eyes simply won't work.

“I have no problem with UKIP claiming allowances. It is a normal part of local government and most councillors work hard for a relatively small amount, but to say one thing and do completely the opposite is an issue.”

Cllr North’s former Tory colleague, Pam Mutton, who lost her North Andover seat to Cllr Rolt last year, said: “I totally agree. If he has said he is going to do something, he should do it.”