MOTORISTS who want dropped kerbs constructed on footpaths outside their homes to enable them to drive unhindered onto their properties are being fleeced, a county councillor claims.

Councillor Peter McDonald said he was shocked when following up a complaint by a resident to discover that the construction cost had more than doubled since the autumn.

"A neighbour complained that he thought the £1,800 charge he had been quoted by the county council was excessive or that a mistake had been made." said Cllr McDonald, a Labour district councillor who also represents the Beacon division on the county authority. "But when I asked a council officer for a breakdown he told me he couldn't as the information was 'sensitive.'"

"I have since discovered that last autumn, before the county council changed contractors, the cost was more reasonable, at around £700.

"I believe the public is being fleeced," he added.

Residents cannot do the work themselves or engage their own contractors after shopping around for a cheaper quote.

Cllr McDonald said he now plans to use the Freedom of Information Act to establish why the cost has risen so sharply.

"Once I get the figures and see they are correct then I will ask for an investigation as to why the council entered into such a high priced deal with the new contractors," he said.

The county council was asked for a comment, but had not responded by the time we went to press.