COUNCILLORS who are pocketing more than £7,000 in allowances are missing as many as 71 per cent of the meetings they are required to attend.

In February the Adver reported how former Labour councillor for Parks, Barrie Thompson, had failed to attend a single council meeting in more than six months.

Now we can reveal that 19 of Swindon's 59 councillors missed more than a third of the meetings they were due to attend in 2007/08.

Councillors, who all received a basic allowance of £7,429 before tax last year, have defended themselves by saying that meetings are only one aspect of their job.

Others claim that the system of council meetings is to blame and that changes need to be made.

The worst offender, after Mr Thompson, was Martin Wiltshire, the Lib Dem councillor for Eastcott who only attended 10 of the 35 meetings he should have.

Coun Wiltshire said: "I have been working out of Swindon for a few months so that has had an effect on my attendances.

"On the whole I try to work around when the meetings are.

"It is unfortunate if it has dipped that low but you have to remember that information is not just passed at these meetings.

"Of course it is preferable to attend all the meetings but councillors do pursue issues and topics outside of them.

"There are many different aspects to a councillor's work, not just meetings.

"I think it's just as important to clear up a park, for example, as taking the big decisions in a planning meeting."

Coun Ian Dobie (Con, Haydon Wick) only managed to attend six out of 16 meetings in 2007/08.

He said: "In the last year I have changed employment and am now in a safety critical job which means I have to have rest periods before I attend for duty.

"I have also been on a shift roster so I have to work out the meetings I can attend.

"In the past I have attended 100 per cent of meetings."

Coun Paul Baker (Lab, Penhill) attended 19 out of a possible 46 meetings.

He said: "I took on too much in my first year on the council, I thought I could combine my job, family life and commitment, but I couldn't.

"So now I have changed things. I am on less committees but I can focus on things much more."

Coun Anthony Peake (Con, Highworth) missed six of his 13 meetings.

He said: "I also sit on Highworth Town Council and one of my most important duties is to liaise between the two councils.

"In a perfect world I would be able to attend every meeting, but I have children saying Daddy, why aren't you here?' - I also have to be in London twice a week for work."

Coun Maurice Fanning (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst) missed 44 per cent of his meetings.

He said: "It is probably because I was unwell or on holiday.

"I would figure that most people would expect 100 per cent attendance but we are human and our ability to make meetings is governed by our lifestyle."

Councillors Steve Wakefield, Melanie Duff and David Glaholm also said that although they would like to go to every council meeting it was not always possible.

Coun Sinead Darker (Con, St Philips) was unavailable for comment.