Celebrity Keith Chegwin will receive £4,000 of Sandwell taxpayers’ money for his appearance at the council’s St George’s Day celebrations.

He will receive the fee for chatting to revellers at the six-hour event in Dartmouth Park organised by Sandwell Council on April 18.

Funding for the party in Dartmouth Park on April 18, the day before a parade, includes £14,595 activities, £15,608 for staffing, electrics, toilets, barriers, St John Ambulance assistance and security, £6,050 for advertising and promotion and £4,000 for Mr Chegwin. Keith Chegwin is most famous for presenting Multi Coloured Swap Shop, Saturday Superstore and Cheggers Plays Pop in the 1970s.

Sandwell Council’s leader Councillor Bill Thomas said: “The council has allocated more than £38,000 for St George’s Day celebrations in Sandwell, which we believe to be one of the highest budgets across England for marking the day.”

Members of the Stone Cross St George’s Association today said the fee could have helped them fund their parade.

The council controversially axed its £10,000 support after reports that extremist groups had attended last year.