Almost £1m being spent on council PR

Taxpayers in a Black Country borough are footing a near £1 million bill for council spin doctors each year, figures obtained by the Express & Star reveal.

Dudley Council spent £945,000 on public relations in the last financial year – employing 18 full-time Press officers who get an average of more than £32,000 a year. The total staff wage bill, including six part-time staff, was £680,000 while running costs spiralled to £265,000. Figures were released after a Freedom of Information Act 2000 request.

The outlay was attacked as "incredible" but finance chief Anne Millward said taxpayers got value for money.

The communications budget funds campaigns such as a six-month drive to encourage people to pay council tax and housing rent by direct debit, launched in July. A series of ads, posters and leaflets featuring the character Direct Dave were produced and circulated at taxpayers' expense.

Past initiatives championed by the marketing and communications team include the Don't Dirty Dudley campaign warning people who drop litter or fail to clear up after their dog they could face a £50 fine.

Councillor David Sparks, leader of the opposition Labour group, said: "The figure of nearly a million pounds is incredible given Dudley Council's consistent inability to communicate with the people of the borough – on library closures, school closures and anything else that requires real public participation.

"I'm amazed that they spend so much. It seems that this lot are all spin and no substance. Communication is important to councils but the failure to communicate and spend a whole lot of money doing so seems to suggest the Dudley taxpayer is not getting value for money."

Councillor Millward, cabinet member for finance, said: "I honestly believe we get fantastic value for money with our marketing and communications team. I don't think 24 people is excessive to look after the needs of an authority which is one of the largest metropolitan boroughs in the country."