A spin doctor is being recruited to promote high speed rail to people in the West Midlands – funded by taxpayers.

The annual salary will be £28,579 to £32,790 but the role will be paid pro rata for a nine-month fixed term.

The “media officer” will promote the benefits of the planned £32 billion line, called HS2, and will be held accountable by bosses if negative stories about it appear in the media. The spin doctor will be based at transport authority Centro, which is funded by the councils of the West Midlands.

But the role will be jointly paid for by the bodies that make up the pro-HS2 campaign in the West Midlands, GoHS2.

The group is made up and paid for by Centro, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Airport, NEC Group and Marketing Birmingham.

Centro is partly funded by Coventry City Council, which is already opposed to high speed rail, and four Black Country councils which want more transport improvements in return for their support.

Two stations will be built in Birmingham and the Government promises knock-on benefits to the rest of the country from 225mph trains running to the capital from the second city in 49 minutes.

Joe Rukin from the Stop HS2 campaign group, said today: “It is an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money and shows that high speed rail means fast trains for fat cats. This shows just how desperate the campaign has become.”

In a joint statement the GoHS2 coalition said: “The business community at the heart of the West Midlands supports the project but is determined to ensure that the evidence and facts are communicated clearly.

“We feel this is important to ensure that the tens of thousands of West Midlanders who will benefit from the new jobs and increased wealth generated by HS2 can make a considered judgement during the public consultation taking place.

“This temporary resource will help do that.”