A COUNCIL has been criticised for paying out a ‘staggering’ £5,500 for a personal appearance by celebrity chef Aldo Zilli.

It also cost Hyndburn Borough Council another £2,500 to hire his kitchen.

Mr Zilli, who is well known for taking part in TV shows Ready Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen, was invited to host a series of demonstrations to launch six-day trading at Accrington Market Hall.

But opponents say the money was a huge amount to pay for just one day’s activity at a time when the council faces savage cuts.

They also criticised the use of ‘fancy gimmicks’, saying rents should be dropped to encourage a more vibrant market.

Mr Zilli was paid £5,500 for three 45-minute sessions while £2,530 was spent hiring a kitchen for the demonstrations.

Yesterday the council leader Peter Britcliffe defended the payment, saying the money had come from a Government grant which had to be spent on the promotion of the town.

But opposition group councillors described the amount paid as “extraordinary” at a time when traders’ rents were being raised and their hours increased.

Calls were also made for the space used for demonstrations to instead be filled with market stalls.

Labour councillor Ken Moss said: “It was with tremendous dismay that I found out the staggering £8,030 cost of taxpayers’ money.

“Whilst the event was admittedly well-attended, I know for a fact that it did not attract anywhere near that amount of extra trade into the market hall.

“The rents should be dropped so that local stallholders can thrive.

"The market hall can then be filled with traders once again instead of fancy gimmicks.

“Any promotional demonstrations should be given for free by local people using products that shoppers can buy.”

Opposition leader Miles Parkinson said: “With £2,530 paid on kitchen hire for the demonstration, the event cost a total of £8,030.

“There have also been regular celebrity events following this one and we are concerned at the money being spent.

“Plus when you walk into the market hall it feels empty. The space should be used for stalls.

“From the traders’ point of view they are being asked for increased rents, to open six days a week and they see celebrities coming in being paid extraordinary amounts.”

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said the event had been designed to bring more people into the market hall.

He said: “The event was funded from a specific government grant which had to be used to promote the town centre.

“The funds did not come from council tax payers and it was not possible to save it and use it on something else.

“A £5,500 fee is a lot of money to people like you and me but it is the going rate for these types of demonstrations.

“The aim was to get more people shopping at the market hall and to regenerate the town centre as a whole.”

Michael Whewell, from the Hyndburn Chamber of Trade, said: "Sometimes marketing can be expensive and often you do not get a lot for your money.

"But you do need to try different things from time to time even if they are not a success."

Mr Zilli is chef patron of the Zilli Fish group and is one of Soho's most flamboyant restaurateurs.

He has written a number of books and attracted a huge following after appearing on Celebrity Fit Club.

Yesterday Mr Zilli’s representatives did not wish to comment.