A pensioners' group is calling for Devon councillors to resign en masse rather than impose a huge council tax rise.

Devon County Council recently received an increase in the money it will get from the government from next April of 4.1%.

The authority said that was not enough and to keep services at present levels next year council tax bills would have to rise by up to 15%.

Now the Devon & Cornwall Pensioners' Convention has called for all councillors to step down in order to force the government to run services directly and see their true cost.

If we resigned and a [government] team moved in, the council tax would go up even more Christine Channon, Devon County Council

Campaigners from the Devon & Cornwall Pensioners' Convention said they were trying to make sure the elderly were not penalised.

Albert Venison said: "If the councillors tell the government 'You say you can do it better than we can and that we get enough money you run it, we'll pack up, you run it right from the word go' and see what happens."

Councillor Christine Channon, the leader of the council said: "That is very tempting.

"But the truth of the matter is if we resigned and a team moved in, the council tax would go up even more because they'll be trying to make sure the government's agenda was really fulfilled."