WIRRAL Council is to pay outside caterers more than half a million pounds to provide it with sandwiches and hot foods over a three-year period.

The authority has put out the contract – which comes in two “lots” – to tender asking for expressions of interest from “suitably experienced organisations”.

Under the 36-month deal, a company would expect to be paid approximately £150,000 a year to provide “sandwiches and sundries” to various council offices and buildings within the authority’s remit.

Lot one is described “an authority-wide buffet-type sandwich and sundries provision (not pre-packed for sandwiches for resale) to cover such events as business lunches, meetings and training courses”.

The second “lot” in the contract, which could theoretically be awarded to the same successful tender, is worth approximately £25,000 a year to provide hot food, mainly at Wallasey Town Hall, for civic receptions, council, planning and youth parliament meetings.

The total estimated “quantity or scope” for both contracts is £525,000 excluding VAT over three years – a figure seized upon by the opposition Conservative group as evidence of profligacy.

Tory group leader Jeff Green said: “I am absolutely appalled that the council can spend £525,000 of taxpayers’ money on sandwiches and hot dinners for themselves.

“It is beyond belief that they could be squandering public funds this way when we so recently were being told we had to close down our libraries and make swingeing cuts in the social services budget to help balance the books.

“I am sure the council taxpayers of Wirral will be as astounded as I am by this.”

A council spokeswoman said: “Wirral Council currently has a catering contract out to tender.

“This is the first time that the council has advertised a contract of this nature, which will mean that all requirements will be channelled through a smaller number of suppliers, resulting in better control over catering arrangements and a reduction in costs.”