PARISH councils may be considered by some to be irrelevant, powerless and out of touch but the simple truth of the matter is that villages would not function without them and many communities might have disappeared altogether without their intervention.

But Draconian rules being enforced on councils by Whitehall have already forced dozens of councillors to resign and are almost certain to put off new councillors from replacing them.

The Government wants to impose a new code of conduct on all politicians at every level, whether they are spending millions on defence or just a few pounds on a fence.

The new code requires councillors to hand over a multitude of personal financial details and for them to sign a declaration to inform colleagues on any change in financial circumstance.

All of these details can be inspected by any member of the public.

The code says that any councillor will be investigated by Government watchdogs if a member of the public makes any kind of allegation against them.

The councillors will have no choice but to comply.

All councils have until this week to sign up to the code, and individual councillors have another couple of months to sign personal agreements, which have to be legally witnessed.

All of this seems perfectly reasonable for politicians who are dealing with multi-million pound projects which have the potential to produce lucrative spin-offs.

But does anyone in government really believe awarding a mowing contract or purchasing new teacups for a village hall are steps on the slippery slope to corruption?

This ridiculous legislation is threatening to strangle the life out of our parish councils.

Already Fittleton, in the Pewsey Vale, has been left without any grassroots local government representation after councillors resigned in protest. How many more communities are to be left without a voice?

If the parish councils disappear who else will stand up for these communities? Who else will give up their time to make sure streetlights are working, repairs to playgrounds are carried out and bus shelters are not vandalised?

This red tape lunacy needs an urgent re-think.