Dover's mayor needs a bigger car because the current one is too small for him and his town sergeant.

The town council has agreed to fork out £5,000 a year to lease a new civic vehicle due to the risk of "physical harm" to the drivers.

The expense was criticised by a Labour councillor who said the mayor did not need a car at all.

A council meeting heard that the new vehicle was needed to prevent David Hunt-Cook, the sergeant, suffering injury and to comply with health and safety laws because of his height.

A report by the mayor Cllr Neil Rix, stated: “The car is very often used by the town sergeant and annual appraisal of his role has highlighted that because he is above average height for a British man the Prius is not entirely comfortable for him to drive, particularly on journeys of over an hour.

“There is some risk of physical harm to the town sergeant in obliging him to continue to use a car in which the seat is at its lowest position but his head touches the roof.

“The current mayor is also subject to similar discomfort.”

At the moment the council has a Toyota Prius hybrid, a mid-sized hatchback, with its lease ending next May. The mayor said the car was needed to travel to other towns to keep up his ambassadorial roles and using public transport was out of the question.

Councillors heard that a new car would cost up to £5,000 a year through leasing, above the present charge of £3,590.

Labour councillor Peter Wallace told the meeting: “Being a mayor is a privilege in itself. You will always be able to say if you were a mayor. I know of no other job where they buy a car for you.”

Mayor Rix, who was embroiled in a controversy last year when he was filmed snorting a substance in a toilet cubicle, retorted; “Do you know of any mayor that doesn’t use a car?”

Cllr Wallace said: “Everything that comes with being a mayor is enough in itself.

“Nurses do a better job. They save lives. We turn up and have a cheese sandwich. The cost of £5,000 a year is too much.“

But the proposal to replace the current vehicle was voted through.

Cllr Keith Sansum said that leasing was the cheaper option. It is generally around a third cheaper than hire purchase, a council report confirms.

Councillors agreed to the new car after an amendment from Cllr Sue Jones for an eco-friendly one.