THERE appears to be an embarrassment at every turn as Swindon Council attempts to address its difficult financial situation.

Now it appears the council cannot even take advantage of a gift bestowed on the town by the new Asda Walmart store.

The company decided to build a youth centre next to its new store in Haydon Wick. It would fill a need for a facility in north Swindon and also bring extra life to the district centre being created around the new store.

Building is well under way and it is due to be finished in January. That is where the problems start. For Swindon Council simply cannot afford the £81,000 it will cost to staff the building.

The cost is considered an extra that may have to be forgone as a sacrifice to savings needed to ensure the council's budget balances. It would be all too easy to criticise the council.

But we must all realise that it has difficult decisions to take as it attempts to reconcile poor central Government funding with a need for extra services in the borough.

One thing is for sure, however. This whole situation sends out all the wrong messages to Asda Walmart.

It has shown its faith in Swindon by investing millions of pounds on building one of the largest superstores Britain has ever seen.

But Swindon, supposedly home to one of the country's most booming economies, cannot even repay that faith by utilising the gift of a new youth centre.

The losers, of course, will be the young people of North Swindon.