BETTER training and wages for clerks would help rid parish and town councils of their 'Vicar of Dibley' image, a meeting was due to hear today.

Parish and town council clerks are the paid officials who organise the meetings of the smaller councils, and run their affairs.

Clerks from across North Yorkshire were due to meet today in Riccall, near Selby, to debate new proposals from the Government to raise the quality and standing of parish and town councils.

The proposals, contained in a consultation called Quality Councils, say that councils should be able to go through a process to show they are "quality" councils and that clerks are "competent", if necessary with extra training.

Avis Thomas is secretary of the Society of Local Council Clerks in North Yorkshire, which is organising the meeting, and is also acting clerk to Tadcaster Town Council. She said clerks in general welcomed the move to modernise councils, and the new training which would see clerks build up a portfolio of evidence about their experience and knowledge.

"This is all about making councils more professional, and we welcome this as it is getting away from the Vicar of Dibley image. It's not like that at all. It might have been at one time, but there's been so much legislation since then."

But she said the clerks objected to the word "secretary" being used in the consultation document.

"We are certainly a lot more than secretaries. We have to read, digest and report back to councillors on issues and make sure they act legally. We are more like chief executives of councils."

Many clerks were not on the nationally- agreed minimum level of pay. Members of the society will be asked to agree a response to the consultation, calling for all clerks to be paid this minimum if they have shown themselves to be competent.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, January 19, 2002