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Councils splash out £500,000 hiring celebs

Council chiefs have blown more than £500,000 of taxpayers' cash hiring celebrities to give cheesy awards and speeches to their staff.

Some stars were paid up to £15,000, a Mirror probe has revealed, yet many events were not even open to the public.

One of the top earners was TV chef James Martin, given nearly £15,000 in May to appear at a food festival run by Tewkesbury council in Gloucestershire.

Not far behind him were X Factor flops Diana Vickers and Ruth Lorenzo, paid a joint £11,000 by North Devon council to show up at a sports event, Devon Games To Inspire.

EastEnders star Barbara Windsor picked up £6,000 for dishing out awards to long-serving employees at East London's Newham council.

And Haringey, North London - blasted over the Baby P scandal - has hired ex-athlete Kriss Akabusi to address employees this week. The TV joker will get an undisclosed sum to "challenge and inspire staff to raise their game" and "send staff away feeling positive".

Other top names to cash in include former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward, millionaire Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis and legendary England goalie Peter Shilton. But campaigners last night blasted the spending spree.

Susie Squire of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "These councils spent shocking amounts introducing glamorous celebrities to their staff.

"Even if taxpayers, who are picking up the tab, were allowed to attend the events, this would still be a questionable use of precious resources. They should issue reassurances that this profligacy and indulgence won't happen again."

The Mirror uncovered the bumper payments, over the past three years, under freedom of information laws.

Many appear to have been of little or no direct benefit to taxpayers. Mountaineer and author Joe Simpson earned £8,000 for a speech to staff at Welwyn Hatfield council, Herts. And Camden in North London hired funnyman Richard Blackwood and Never Mind The Buzzcocks presenter Simon Amstell to give out staff awards in 2007 and 2008 - but refused to disclose what they were paid.

Meanwhile, TV tycoon Theo, worth £135million, was paid £2,000 by Newark and Sherwood council, Notts, to open a business centre in 2007.

One of the most generous town halls was Nottingham, which last year shelled out £15,800 for four celebrities. The best-known was Sir Clive, famed for leading England to 2003 World Cup glory, who gave a motivational address to council officials. Other sports names paid handsomely included Paralympics icon Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, given £8,050 by Cherwell council, Oxon, to open a Bicester leisure centre in June.

Former runner Sally Gunnell received £3,800 from Eastleigh council, Hants, to launch a leisure centre project in January.

And this month soccer legend Peter, England's record cap holder, received £2,300 to open a Suffolk leisure centre - half of it paid by St Edmundsbury council.

In contrast, Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman refused payment and even travel expenses when he danced and gave a speech to help publicise a fitness campaign for Kent's Gravesham council.

£0.00 Len Goodman's fee to Gravesham Borough Council for giving a speech, dancing and leading a world record attempt

£6,000 Newham paid Barbara Windsor to present long-service awards to staff

£15,000 Chef James Martin earned this from Tewkesbury council for attending a food festival

£2,300 St Edmundsbury Borough Council paid half the fee for Peter Shilton to open a leisure centre

£11,000 North Devon Council paid X Factor finalists Diana Vickers and Ruth Lorenzo to appear at the Devon Games

Id offer most council staff my speeches for free..but it may not be what theyed like to hear