Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain was paid £9,000

MP Debbie Abrahams said Oldham, which paid stars nearly £38,000, was facing ‘total collapse’ (Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

While householders face inflated council tax bills for the new financial year, research by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests town halls are still wasting large sums of money. Freedom of Information requests show councils which increased council tax and claimed their budgets had been savaged by cuts have spent more than £185,000 of taxpayers' cash on celebrity appearances in the last three years. Famous faces include Great British Bake off winner Nadiya Hussain, 1990s British dance outfit N-Trance, Saturday Kitchen's James Martin and Welsh rugby star Scott Quinnell, as well as Paddington Bear and Peppa Pig pantos.

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Taxpayers will feel bitter that bureaucrats have been blowing their money meeting their favourite TV stars
James Roberts

The money was often for Christmas lights switch-ons as well as food and music festivals and business awards dinners.

The Freedom of Information requests on seven Labour-run councils also showed there were 55 senior staff earning more than £100,000 each.

James Roberts, from the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will feel bitter that bureaucrats have been blowing their money meeting their favourite TV stars. These council fat cats are raking in almost as much as the celebs they've been paying through the nose for."

Councils say celebrities help promote areas and boost shopping centres.

FOI results showed Barnsley council spent £40,846.10 on celebrity appearances, including £9,000 for Ms Hussain and £15,000 for Mr Martin.

Eleven staff have £100,000-plus pay