A NEWPORT councillor plans to publish the number to a special 'hotline' that will help councillors jump the council's call centre queue.

The hotline is to be introduced to put councillors straight through to the city contact centre when the public face long waits.

But Councillor Peter Davies, of Stow Hill ward, thinks the system is unfair, and has promised to pay for advertising that reveals the hotline number to all.

He said: "It's morally totally wrong that councillors should have a hotline set up so they do not have to wait in the queue like everyone else.

"They are asking the public to wait for several minutes, so why can't they? If these waits aren't acceptable to councillors, why are they acceptable to busy members of the public?

"I shall take out an advert in the local Press as soon as the number is given to councillors.

"My advice to Newport residents then is to try the existing 656 656 number and, if the waiting-time is a few minutes, they can then call the councillors' line."

The call centre was set up around 15 months ago as a focal point for all inquiries to the council.

The centre has scooped awards but councillors have called for a "priority members' line" so that they do not have to wait as long during busy periods.

Councillor Glyn Jarvis, cabinet member for public affairs, said: "The whole idea of this hotline is to help the public. A councillor might need to get through quickly to report a resident's problem straightaway.

"There's no queueing problem at the call centre, but there are always peaks and troughs.

"Councillor Davies' plans are a bit childish and will defeat the whole object of the members' line.

"This has gone through a formal consultation process and has been backed by councillors. Councillor Davies could've spoken against the line at an earlier stage, but did not do so."