Consultants hired by Oxford City Council are being put up at the £160-a-night Malmaison, the authority has confirmed.

Private company Vanguard has been brought in to help "provide excellent customer service across the council", but some consultants are staying in the exclusive Oxford Castle hotel when they are unable to make it home.

The city council refused to tell the Oxford Mail whether it had a contract with Malmaison or what other hotels were being used, just that where they stayed was "down to availability".

By comparison a double room in the Travelodge at Pear Tree costs £60 a night.

The revelation was last night branded "scandalous" by Town Hall union representatives, who accused the council of splashing out at a time the authority was being forced to "scrimp and save".

Unison branch chairman Emma Goodall said: "It's absolutely scandalous that, when budgets are tight and almost every area of the council is being forced to scrimp and save, our directors have seen fit to shell out on luxury accommodation for overpaid consultants."

Officials claimed Vanguard's initial work had cut the average time in approving building regulations from 45 to 23 days and refocused service "to respond flexibly to different customer needs".

A city council spokesman said: "Vanguard have worked with other local authorities and have produced some promising results.

"Some Vanguard consultants have stayed at Malmaison, but they only stay in hotels in Oxford when they are unable to commute home and their work requires them to stay beyond office hours.

"It is also down to availability as to where they stay."