A public sector trade union has reacted with fury after discovering cash-strapped Wirral Council has hired two more consultants - at the staggering cost of more than £1,700 per DAY.

The pair - one to oversee "public affairs and communications" the other "budget planning" - will receive a daily rate of £850 and £903 respectively on short-term contracts.

The bill works out at around £100 an hour each for a day's work.

The authority said the jobs are temporary and will give "a short, sharp injection of capacity [that] will ensure the council makes changes at pace."

But the appointments of Paul Masterman and Julie Alderson have been described by Unison as a "kick in the teeth for staff."

Mr Masterman is a former head of communications at Staffordshire County Council while Ms Alderson was corporate director of resources in the London borough of Harrow.

The union is "totally dismayed" by the extraordinary sums the pair are being paid.

And they fear their front line workers - "already at breaking point" - will feel the backlash from an angry Wirral public.

Unison branch secretary Paddy Cleary said: "I have just come from a meeting with the head of HR and we have been advised about two more consultants the council has taken on.

"This is added to the current six we already have doing various projects.

"The cost will be funded from a 'remodelling' exercise and a chief officer vacancy.

"But Unison finds it appalling due to the recent ‘arrangement’ that allowed Emma Degg (former tourism and media boss) to leave the authority.

"At a time when members are expected to take a drop in pay for similar roles, and others have the threat of redundancy hanging over their heads, we find the costings a disgrace."

He continued: "The tax-paying public of Wirral will once again be up in arms.

"And it will not be those who have made the decision they will show their anger to.

"It will be our front line members who are already at breaking point.

"The belief under the previous regime was that the three strategic directors had been employed to curtail the need for consultants on specified projects.

"This again is a kick in the teeth for our hard-working members and the public of Wirral."

A town hall spokesman said: "Earlier this year the council agreed its ambitious first five-year plan 'A 2020 Vision for Wirral.'

"This will be delivered within the reducing resources available to us.

"The interim support is exactly that: interim - a short, sharp injection of capacity will ensure that the council makes changes at pace.

"The cost will be met from the balances we set aside in the council’s budget for this programme."