The BBC article highlights that staff at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council can now only claim 45 per mileage – in line with HMRC guidance – but councillors can still claim the original higher rate of 65p.

The BBC reports that the Unite union said the policy ‘discriminated against workers’ and both rates should be equal.

Adrian Ross, from Unite, said: ‘Our members used to get the higher rate, it's unfair because we have seen a significant cut, but councillors haven't.

‘All the employees that use their cars have got to take out business insurance and with rising petrol prices the cost of running a car for work is going up and up.’

However, the Labour-run council said it intended to reduce both rates to 45p, by the end of the year.

Council leader Dennis Harvey said: ‘We reduced the staff mileage to reduce costs and save jobs.

‘We've asked the independent panel on councillors' allowances to reduce the councillors' rate as well. The intention is for them all to go down.’

He said the council could not enforce the new rate until the panel came back with its findings later this year.