The Penryn and District Twinning Association has been awarded a grant of £400 by the town council towards the cost of hosting visitors from Audierne in Brittany.

The town council usually gives the twinning association a £300 grant every two years, when the French delegation visits Penryn, but the council decided to increase the grant to £400.

Councillor Martin Mullins said he would like to give them more than the previous years as the French economic situation “isn’t as good as ours.”

He said: “I think it would show good faith from this town.”

Councillor Edward Wilkes asked for it to be noted that he voted against the proposal, as he does not agree with the twinning and believes it is out of step with what it used to be.

He said: “When it started it was about the children and not the adults, but it’s gone to the adults and I don’t agree with that.”

Councillor Martin Mullins said while it was true that the children used to have an exchange trip, it was separate from the twinning, which was set up to promote closer business links and co-operation.

He added that the group does a lot of its own fundraising each year.