MORE than £3 million of Weymouth income will go to the new Dorset Council because borough councillors were either "conned" or failed to care enough to fight for the borough – according to Westham councillor David Harris.

The Lib Dem county councillor used the public session at Thursday's borough council to make the accusation.

“Was the council bullied or conned in not challenging the transfers to the Dorset Council?” he said. “Nobody seemed to want to challenge what was happening.”

He said that when income from the crematorium, the car parks and the hotels was added up it amount to an annual income from the town of more than £3 million.

“We should have challenged the transfer rules, but because nobody challenged them we may have missed the opportunity.

“Who has been standing up for Weymouth in the last few months?” he said.

But Dorset Council finance brief holder Cllr Tony Ferrari said that the council tax share to be paid by Weymouth residents to run the new town council, at £184 a year, was actually less than comparable towns such as Dorchester, Sherborne and Bridport.