NEW figures obtained by the Observer show that many local councillors fail to attend over half the committee meetings.

Attendance figures show that of 233 meetings held between 14 May 2008 and 16 March this year to discuss important council issues councillors only attended on average around 34 each year.

Heywood Township councillor Peter Rush came top of the class attending 68 meetings, closely followed by the new mayor, Councillor Keith Swift, on 61.

While it’s not necessary for every councillor to attend each meeting, Councillors Robin Parker – who was the previous mayor – Elwyn Watkins and Mark Birkett attended less than one a month.

And Middleton councillor David Murphy, who revealed 18 months ago that he was dividing his time between his Spanish apartment and his home town of Middleton, has attended just three meetings.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse commented: "The Lib Dems have been calling for Councillor Murphy to do the honourable thing and stand down from council for nearly two years now after months of Labour letting him off the hook.

"While the Costa councillor suns himself in Spain many of his constituents in Middleton continue to struggle to pay their bills because of Labour’s mishandling of our economy. This is simply unacceptable.

"His attendance at only three council meetings in a year is made even worse by the fact that when he does choose to fly in for a meeting he only ever stays long enough to sign his name in the attendance book."

But it wasn’t just Councillor Murphy who has been something of a stranger to meetings at the Town Hall with Councillor Birkett only managing to attend seven meetings, blaming his many absences on trying to juggle his working life training to be a commercial pilot with council commitments.

He said: "This is a tricky old manoeuvre. It’s not always easy to combine working with being a councillor – a lot of council meetings are held during the day.

"Most of the time I’m quite happy to go to a council meeting, but most of what I like to do is be involved with case work in the Kingsway ward.

"Basically, the situation for me is that I was on the council, the Township committee and Manchester Airport committee and as far as I know I have attended all but one of those meetings.

"But obviously my position is that it’s not always easy, depending what your job is. I will continue with all the casework, but I don’t sit on as many committees as other people have. I have been attending all the meetings I possibly can."

The leader of the Labour party, Councillor Colin Lambert, recently moved a motion demanding councillors attend all meetings or lose their allowances.

He said: "Councillor Murphy was removed from the Labour group. The focus, though, should be on all councillors' attendance.

"His attendances can be matched by Councillors Elwyn Watkins and Mark Birkett, who have also been absent. Councillors should be attending all meetings or they should not be paid their allowances."

Councillor attendances: