HERE are the councillor mobile phone bills for the past three years.

(Click here and here and here for the complete bills).

The Warrington Guardian obtained them under the Freedom of Information act to see what they revealed.

Probably the most striking fact was the heavy use by Labour members compared to the low use by Lib Dems and Conservatives.

But as for what the figures reveal - we let the councillors explain, and constituents decide.

Top five for mobile phone pills

1. Clr John Kerr-Brown, (Lab), Poplars and Hulme, £1,103 said: "The explanation is pretty clear, is the fact that my phone is a private line and the bill includes the line rental. The others don't include the line rental.

"That's probably about £20 to £25 a month. Also, the majority of my phone calls to constituents are mobile to mobile as I represent one of the inner wards.

"If you take out the line rental the bill is comparable with that of other inner ward councillors."

2. Pat Wright, (Lab), Bewsey and Whitecross, £1,020 said: "????"

3. Clr Mike Hannon (Lab), Orford, £684, said: "It's the volume of work coming on from our constituents. On a day-to-day basis and we like to try and deal with as quickly as possible.

"I try and use the landline as much as possible but the mobile is a valuable tool to deal with complaints as quickly as possible."

4. Clr Colin Froggart, (Lab), Poulton South, £646, said: "You have got to put it in context. I was in employment and I was not working in Warrington so I used my mobile phone so I didn't have to use my company phone.

"You will also find it's dropped since I lost my position on the executive board."

5. Clr Jeff Richards, (Lab), Bewsey and Whitecross, £541, said: "What I can guarantee you is that any calls on the phone are council related because I have two private phones.

"It's a busy ward and the majority of people don't have landlines but have mobile phones."

The lowest five

1- Clr George Warburton, (Lab), Penketh, £3.50 over three years, said: "I never use it. I think they are overused. I just treat life as I treated it years ago.

"I won't use mobiles for the sake of using them. I am sure people use them for frivolous things."

2- Clr Les Hoyle, (Con), Culcheth, £8 over two years, said: "I use my own phone quite a bit, and the wife goes a bit mad about that. But it's whatever is to hand at the time.

"It's not that I am particularly careful, it's just I use my own phone quite a bit and I got out and meet people and send emails."

3 - Clr Celia Jordan, (LD), Stockton Heath, £11 over two years, said: "I tend to use my own private mobile phone as it's more convenient, and I don't claim anything for that, it's just one of those things.

"I'm certainly getting into the Blackberry now, it's one of the easier ways to keep in touch."

4 - Clr David Earl, (LD), Westbrook, £9 over two years, said: "I only use it when necessary. I use it mainly for incoming calls and for emergencies. The council provide us with a landline on broadband and it costs nothing after 6pm so I also use that."

5 - Clr Judith Wheeler, (LD), Whittle Hall, £12 over two years, said: "I work so usually unable to make phone calls during the day, make phone calls from home at night or use email (through Blackberry) a lot.

"I hate mobile phones generally. I can use Blackberry for emails anywhere, anytime so has made being a councillor so much easier."