OPPOSITION councillors on Cheshire West and Chester Council have attacked what they say is wasteful spending by the council.

They point to what they claim is £20,000 worth of expenditure on a series of flags on each of the main routes into Chester and at all the park and ride sites to raise awareness of events in the city.

Labour finance spokesperson Cllr Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port, Central and Westminster) insists: “This is a scandalous waste of money.”

But the Tory-controlled authority’s culture chief Cllr Richard Short (Con, Overleigh) is delighted with the move.

“Cheshire West and Chester Council is very serious about making Chester a great place for people to visit,” he said.

“Our city offers so much and I am pleased that, through a partnership arrangement, we are promoting events and the city in this way.”

An unimpressed Cllr Madders believed: “We should be tightening our belts at this time, not wasting money.”