Press officers from cash-strapped Brighton and Hove City Council spent almost £2,000 on a night in the West End of London.

Ten representatives, mostly from the council's public relations office and headed by deputy council leader Jackie Lythell, went to an industry awards bash at the Grosvenor Park Hotel in Park Lane.

The team won the prestigious PR Week corporate communications award for its environmental NineLives campaign.

Council chief executive David Panter said the bash was a "rare treat" to reward his team for its success.

But opposition councillors have criticised the trip while the council had imposed a 14.5 per cent council tax increase and £6 million cuts.

Tory leader Brian Oxley said: "I find it extremely disturbing at a time when the council knew it was going to have to put up council tax by a very large amount, council representatives should be dining out on funds provided by the taxpayer."

Councillor Oxley tabled a series of questions to Mr Panter about the evening.

Former Pavilion Tory candidate David Gold, an expert in public relations, said: "I'm well aware of the importance of the PR Week Awards in recognising the best of the industry. But the cost of a table at those awards would have been better spent on local services for the elderly and the vulnerable."

Mr Panter said the council entered the awards under three categories at a fee of £90 for each. It was short-listed in all three.

He said communications director Tony Miller and support officer Katherine Travis prepared the entries which took only a few hours outside normal working time.

Booking a table, food and drink at the hotel cost £1,550 and to cut travel costs the council hired a coach at £265.

Mr Panter said: "Ten people represented the council, mainly those who had been involved directly with the short-listed work. This particularly matters for things like recruitment of high quality staff who see the city council as a dynamic and creative place to work."