LESS than a week after announcing a freeze on recruitment to help minimise any tax rise burden, Swindon Borough Council has advertised three fat cat jobs.

With a fanfare of frugality designed to demonstrate camaraderie with the long-suffering Swindon public, the council's cabinet voted for draconian measures last week to "stem the bleed" on the borough's financial resources.

In addition to an immediate halt on recruitment, the cabinet also decided that no temporary contracts would be renewed unless an overwhelming case could be made for them.

Four days later, a full page advertisement appeared in the Municipal Journal, at a cost of £7,000, for three assistant directors with Swindon council, each one with a £63,000 annual salary.

According to the advert, a pre-requisite for at least one of the executive posts is a sense of humour.

But opponents of the ruling Tories are not amused.

"At a time when the Tories want to close two old people's homes in the borough, what on earth are we doing recruiting assistant directors?" asked Councillor Stan Pajak (Lib/Dem, Eastcott).

Officers recommended a 13.1 per cent council tax increase that would hike D band payers (the average) to a £1,200 yearly bill at the special cabinet meeting.

But council leader Mike Bawden (Old Town and Lawns) remained unrepentant, saying: "Rather than shooting from the hip and being political opportunists, our critics should hold fire until they see what we do and why.

"These posts have been in the pipeline for some time and the magazine would have been almost going to press by the time the cabinet made its decision.

"I'm all in favour of constructive criticism, but please let's have some fair play. We may not even make the appointments in the end. Certainly we could well prune the three vacancies down to two."

The three assistant directorships cover the territories of environmental management, leisure services and construction.

The closing date for potential candidates is December 23.

Neither environmental management nor overseeing leisure facilities is seen as delivering essential services. This is the position that requires a sense of humour.

However, spearheading the construction division is a more crucial role, underpinning the repair, improvement and upkeep of Swindon's 11,000 council-owned houses. The assistant director would also be responsible for the maintenance of roads.

The vacancies have occurred due to resignations and internal promotion.

Michael Litchfield