COUNTY councillors in Gloucestershire have been branded money wasters after they replaced a £20 noticeboard with a £6,000 plasma TV screen.

Bosses at the council's headquarters have shunned the traditional method of posting notices in favour of updates on a hi-tech screen.

Before the technology arrived visitors to Shire Hall had to find out where to go by

reading notices stuck to a plastic board.

The joint Labour/Liberal-Democrat administration says their new screen is an important

asset - but opposition councillors have called it an 'insult to taxpayers'.

Conservative deputy leader councillor Shaun Parsons said the screen was a waste of

money.

"When people across the county are struggling to find money for massive tax hikes the council wastes six whole households worth of council tax to replace one display board," he said.

"It is grossly insulting to taxpayers, who I'm sure will be as annoyed about this as I

am.

"If the current administration have money to waste on ridiculous luxuries like this I

hope they will be able to guarantee people in Gloucestershire no tax rise this year."

Over the last year homeowners in the county have seen their council tax bills rise by

more than 13 per cent.

Council leader Peter Clarke rejected criticism of the plasma screen.

"It is extremely important that we continue to modernise and maximise the benefits of

technology," he said.

"The display links to an online booking system that replaces the inefficient paper-based version our staff have had to use.

"The funding is coming from an 'electronic government' project that is being partly

funded by the Government."