MONMOUTHSHIRE council will work to cut tolls on the Severn bridges, described as “totally disproportionate” to other crossings in the UK.

Cllr Graham Down’s motion asking the local authority to demand the costs for bridge users are reduced, in partnership with other organisations, was passed, after he read out how the tolls compare.

He said car drivers pay £6.20 to cross from England to Wales on the M4 and M48, in comparison to £1.50 for the Humber Bridge, £2 for the Dartford Crossing and £1.50 for the Mersey Tunnel.

Cllr Down said fees on the local bridges, which rose again in 2013, were problematic for regular commuters and young people looking for their first jobs.

“In general it’s a hardship we shouldn’t have to bear,” he said.

Councillors agreed the tolls should be reduced to “acceptable levels”.

Chepstow councillor Dimitri Batrouni said the costs, which rose by at least 2.5 per cent for vans, minibuses, lorries and coaches at the turn of the year, were “extraordinary” for drivers from the town.

“People are working hard, trying to do the right thing and we should be supporting this motion,” he added.