A COUNCIL agreed to pay more than £3,000 to be able to start using the town’s coat of arms again.

Ross town councillors approved an application for a Royal Licence to transfer use of the Ross-on-Wye Coat of Arms to the town council and authorise expenditure of £3,150.

At the moment Ross-on-Wye Town Council is not entitled to use its coat of arms.

When the application was initially made it was under the former Ross urban district council. During the 1974 government reorganisation the permission was lost.

It came to the council's attention that it should no longer be using the coat of arms on its letterhead, and had it removed. It also meant the council may have to eventually remove it from the mayoral chain.

Cllr Jane Roberts said as a councillor in the last council she voted not to pay this money.

She called it a medieval protection racket and added: "We are citizens rather than sovereigns."

But Cllr Phil Cutter said: "I move to do this. I think it is vitally important that it is sorted out."

A majority voted in favour. The council can now apply to the Ministry of Justice.