WSCC councillors watch county cricket - with residents paying the bill

West Sussex County Council has paid hundreds of pounds of its residents' money to renew its executive membership of Sussex County Cricket Club.

The 495 deal guarantees two seats for the council at each of the club's home games to watch players such as England stars Michael Yardy and Luke Wright.

The membership was carried on by the council despite the financial climate which has seen it slash spending on voluntary groups and warn of cutbacks in services.

One of the affected groups was the Sussex Autistic Society. One of the reasons given for its closure earlier this month was a drop in funding from the county council.

Carol Bell, whose 20-year-old son Colin has been helped by the society, said: "For years I have struggled to support my son, out of love not duty.It's been a fight every inch of the way.

"It was hard enough with the support of Sussex Autistic Society. Now, my son has nothing. Years of dedicated support and resulting progress have just been wiped out.

"Yet the councillors who sit in their ivory towers can happily spend hundreds of pounds to watch free cricket."

Executive membership of the county cricket club has been enjoyed by the county council for several years.

Simon McDougall, the Lib Dem county councillor for Bersted, said it was wrong for the county council to spend the money when it was telling everyone about its financial plight.

"This might be only a small amount but it is something I am not happy about. Money should not be spent by the council on a matter which is non-essential.

"It should not be for members of the county council to watch cricket at a cost to the council taxpayer.

"I've nothing against cricket and I am a lifelong supporter of the game.

"But I would have thought that if the county council wanted to support cricket locally it would have been better to put money into youth development at any one of the cricket clubs around the county."

The county council offers the free seats to all councillors and members of its senior management group.

An email sent to them by a county council officer last month said the membership has been renewed.

It said: "As in previous years, we have two executive membership tickets for home games.

"If you would like to make use of these, please contact me and I can reserve the tickets for you on a 'first come first served' basis."

A West Sussex County Council spokesman said: "The county council, like many other major employers in our region, is a corporate sponsor of the Sussex County Cricket Club.

"This costs 495 and is for a very small sponsorship package, which enables us to show our support for our local cricket team.

"Under the sponsorship package, the county council receives two passes that can be used at Sussex home games.

"The county council provides grants and donations to hundreds of charities, community groups and local and county organisations each year, of which this is one."