MARLBOROUGH town councillors have become embroiled in a storm in a teacup after Coun Peggy Dow took an inventory of crockery at the town hall, including a count of the tea pots.

Coun Hilary Cripps, chairman, told Monday's meeting of the council's recreation and amenities committee that no one had previously kept a list of the crockery and cutlery available for hire at town hall functions. She said: "Coun Dow has counted every piece of crockery, knife, fork and spoon."

But although there is now a full inventory, said Coun Cripps, it would be nearly impossible to ensure each time it was hired out the council counted it out and counted it back in.

Coun Cripps wondered if it might be better not to provide crockery and cutlery at the town hall and let hirers provide their own or hire it elsewhere. She said items kept on being broken or disappearing. "It's not fair for the ratepayers to have to keep on paying for it."

Committee vice-chairman Coun Derek Smithers believed it would result in the loss of bookings for the hall. He said: "Some people hiring the town hall do not want to have all the hustle and bustle of hiring their crockery from elsewhere. They will go somewhere else to hire a hall with everything included."

Coun Dow said her inspection had revealed there were two tea pots in the hall. Coun Cripps had believed there was not even one to be found. Coun Dow said that if crockery was to be provided on a chargeable basis it would have to be stored properly and a dishwasher would have to be provided.

The committee asked Coun Dow to continue her investigations and establish what the demand is to hire crockery and cutlery and to investigate costs of replacements and a dishwasher.