It’s not too late for residents to have a say on how Poole council could save millions of pounds.

The online budget options simulator gives residents the chance to help swing the axe and suggest where Borough of Poole can save 10 per cent of its £98.1 million budget.

Several hundred people have already used the web-based tool but the council is urging more residents to create their own budget before consultation closes on Monday, October 11.

Some priorities are already emerging from the responses received, with an average reduction of 8.4 per cent on the council’s current budget by increasing council charges and decreasing spending on some services.

Cllr Don Collier, deputy leader, said: “I’m sure anyone who has completed the online exercise will better understand the scale of the challenge the council is facing.

“There are no easy decisions when it comes to balancing the council’s budget and that’s why it is so important that as many people as possible have their say on where they would like to see future investment or a reduction in spending.

“The online tool is already giving us an idea of residents’ priorities but the more people who use it, the more confident we can be that the results reflect the full range of views of people across Poole.”

It lets people see how much the council spends on services and suggests ways to make savings.

The government has made cutting the national debt a priority and the council expects its overall budget to be dramatically reduced in future. It is planning on the basis of having to find around £12.3m to balance the books in 2011/12 with further cuts expected after that.

Poole library staff can help residents use the online tool, which can be found at budgetsimulator.com/poole.