STOURBRIDGE councillors have clashed over the borough’s bid for city status after cuts cover up claims.

Members of the town’s area committee were told by council leader Cllr Les Jones if Dudley was granted city status there was “no way” councillors would seek a pay rise.

The pledge came after a member of the public quizzed councillors on the issue, suggesting city status could spark a “tremendous” hike in allowances.

Cllr Pete Lowe also attacked the bid, he said: “City status is a great marketing ploy, what we should be talking about is the biggest cuts in public services in years, let’s talk about the impact on services.”

Cllr Jones defended the bid saying the region had plenty to be proud of and the application allowed the authority to “sing the praises of the borough”.

He added: “Foreign visitors don’t ask where the metropolitan borough is, they want to know where our city is.”

Former mayor, Cllr Malcolm Knowles slammed negative comments about the bid in the press which he dismissed as “stupid remarks”.

Cllr Knowles said: “Those sort of comments get to the powers that be quicker than we think, I deplore those comments.”