A COUNCIL sent a party of six people to France on a twin town visit — the day after having £4million slashed from its budget.

A group from Blackburn with Darwen Council spent two nights in Peronne, returning on Sunday evening.

The council paid the cost of the flights to Paris, which it said came to £1,582, while their French hosts picked up the hotel and food bills.

The trip came the day after Blackburn with Darwen council was told it had lost more than £4million in government grants, and there are fears vital services could be cut back further following next week’s budget as ministers slash public spending.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: “It is an insult to struggling taxpayers back home that the council is wasting money on jollies to France when budgets are so tight."

The councillor in charge of leisure and culture in Blackburn and Darwen has criticised the decision.

For Darwen Party member Trevor Maxfield said: “It isn’t exactly sending out the right message.”

Council bosses said the visit taught them 'new and different ideas' about how to cut costs.

But one of the party, Lib Dem Paul Browne, admitted he would support scrapping the biennial get-togethers between Blackburn, Peronne and Altena in Germany.

Coun Browne, the lead member for leisure and culture, said: “I don’t think it is that essential, and I would prefer to see things like theatres and libraries kept open.”

But Coun Browne said it had been a 'brilliant' visit and insisted sharing notes had been 'very useful'.

Another of the party, deputy council leader Tony Melia, paid for all his own costs after combining the visit with a business trip to France.

He said: “The stuff we covered was useful, but there’s no kind of parity between Blackburn and Peronne.

"The town is much smaller and the types of business are different.”

Also on the trip was Labour’s Dorothy Walsh, who insisted: “We did not go over there on a jolly, believe you me. It was very hectic.”

The delegation, which also included Tory councillor Jackie Slater, adult social services director Stephen Sloss and town twinning officer Brett Henry, arrived on Friday, staying in the three-star Hotel Saint Claude and dining at local bistros.

A number of workshops were held, looking at young people’s services, adult social care and setting up a trainee scheme for doctors.

Harry Catherall, deputy chief executive at the council, said the trip was useful to learn different approaches.