County councillors claimed nearly £1.8m in expenses and allowances - their "pay" - last year, figures published by Kent County Council show.

The overall sum of £1,784,219 for the authority's 84 elected members in 2012-2013 is down on the previous year - but only by 1%.

In 201-12, taxpayer-funded claims amounted to £1,801,693.

Councillors recently voted for a pay freeze over the next four years after the independent panel that recommends how much they should get said a hike was inappropriate.

Of the claims made last year, the bulk was paid out for the basic allowance of £12,805 that every councillor is entitled to.

That made up £1,063,741 of the total and is supposed to reflect the work members do preparing for and attending meetings at County Hall as well as dealing with constituents.

The second largest sum was for those councillors additionally paid so-called Special Responsibility Allowances, principally members of the Conservative cabinet, the council's key decision making body.

Each cabinet member is paid £27,371 while deputy cabinet members receive about half that - £12,633.

Other SRA payments under KCC's scheme are made to opposition leaders and committee chairman.

County council leader Paul Carter received £54,913, made up of £42,109 for his role as leader and £12,805 in basic allowance.

The Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Trudy Dean received £21,412, of which £8,607 was for her role as official opposition leader.

In addition to allowances, councillors claimed £130,594 by way of car mileage expenses but a rather more modest £7,422 for using public transport to get about on council business and to attend meetings.

More than a third relied exclusively on their cars for council business, making no claims at all for public transport.

Only one county councillor claimed more for public transport than for using a car - Cllr Graham Gibbens, the Conservative cabinet member for adult care.

However, 18 members claimed no travel expenses at all - five more than the previous year.

See how much councillors claimed here.