A disgraced Bradford councillor pocketed expenses of nearly £12,000 - despite being jailed for trying to evade justice after he was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.

Intkhab Alam claimed the standard basic annual allowance of £11,777.04 for the period of April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006 - even though he was locked up for two years and four months on March 3, 2006, for trying to pervert the course of justice after his minicab hit and killed Christopher Benson, 20, the previous May.

The income of Alam, pictured, who represented the Great Horton ward for the Conservatives, has been revealed in the Council's annual statement of councillors' allowances for 2005/6.

The figures also show Khadam Hussain, formerly a Tory councillor in the City ward, received £11,166.79 - despite being forced to resign from the Council a few weeks before the end of the financial year end for failing to attend a meeting for six months.

The Council does not have the powers to withhold allowances unless a recommendation is made by the Standards Board for England.

No complaint has yet been made against Mr Alam or Mr Hussain but today a senior councillor said he intended to make complaints about both of them.

Mr Benson's mother Lynette Twitchett, 44, of Morley, said: "The crime Alam committed was a serious one and a person's life was lost through it. He did not behave responsibly.

"Therefore he is bringing the Council into disrepute so it should not pay him. I think there's been an oversight that it has not occurred to anyone to report it to the Standards Board.

"I do not believe he should have been paid any money from the moment he was charged because he was suspended. Any work he was doing was off his own back and he should not have been paid for it. He was guilty and was in breach of the Council's code of conduct.

"He torched his car, including his mobile phone, and gave the police a different mobile phone. It was a full nine months before he came clean. How can that be in keeping with the Council's code of conduct?"

The Council's Labour group leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said he intended to complain to the Standards Board for England about both former councillors.

Coun Greenwood (Little Horton) said: "It's clear that Intkhab Alam was convicted of a serious criminal offence and he brought the Council into disrepute. I think the Ethical Standards Board should investigate that and he should pay the money back to the Council.

"It's clear to me that Khadam Hussain has not been doing the job for a period of time and he received money under false pretences. He can bleat all he wants about changes in the system but in terms of personal obligation he should pay the money back for a job he clearly did not do."

Mr Hussain blamed his absence from meetings on a trip to Pakistan to deal with damage caused to a family home after the 2005 South Asian earthquake and he has called for a change to the system of paying councillors.

He said: "It's common knowledge among my family and constituents that all my salary went to the Hilton Road mosque and charities in Pakistan where I go regularly. I take the money over there and I find out who is in need and whatever money is left over I give out.

"I did not go into politics for the money - I wanted to make a change. The law does not allow me to hand back the money to Bradford Council.

"That money has already been given to needy people. My conscience is clear. You cannot justify a full salary for just turning up to a meeting a few times a year but that's what is happening."

Bradford Conservative group chief whip, Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Ilkley), said: "As far as we are concerned Khadam Hussain is no longer a councillor.

"I would like to look in more detail about what the law says about retrospective penalties. I don't think it's right that Khadam Hussain received that amount when I think of the huge amount of work that some people put in to the Council. I believe that money should be refunded."

The statement of councillors' allowances show a total of £1,607,074.49 was claimed by the Council's 90 councillors. Then Council leader Margaret Eaton received the most at £44,440.80, the lion's share of which was a £32,414.04 special responsibilities allowance.