POWYS County Council board members say their new council issued mobile phones are useless because they do not work properly.
Earlier this year, the council agreed to purchase Blackberry mobile telephones for the 15 councillors who make up the board.
The phones cost around £350 and would theoretically allow board members to access their e-mail to assist with their day to day duties.
However, at a recent meeting of the board, Councillor Wynne Jones said they have been rendered useless by a technological hitch.
A problem with the council’s IT system means councillors are currently unable to open attachments which come with e-mails.
Cllr Jones said: “Our new Blackberry’s will not allow us to open any attachments.
“Soon our own phones will not be able to open them and neither will the council issue ones.”
Cllr Jones said that the phones are incredibly useful in his role as portfolio holder for Regeneration and Development.
He said: “I would say that 3/4 of all contacts I get contain an attachment and document.
“If it’s the case that they don’t open attachments then there’s no point in having them.”
Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe agreed that it would be pointless having them if they cannot open attachments.
He said: “If that is the case it will be useless. I might as well use it as a door stop.”
Chairman of the board, Michael Jones, said the situation needed to be clarified and Cllr Graham Brown said the council’s IT department should attend the next meeting of the board to discuss the matter.
The board agreed and confirmed that the IT department would be invited to the next meeting to discuss how it can be resolved.