CIVIC bosses are planning to splash out £58,000 a year of taxpayers' cash on a new spin doctor.

That will be the annual salary for the new executive needed to polish up Southampton's public relations. But the wage is the same amount of cash the council wants to slash from tourism and leisure.

And that could see grass-roots football facilities mothballed at three sites across the city. Plans to axe the pitches has sparked outraged in the city and seen the launch of a high-profile Save Our Soccer campaign.

Tory group leader on the city council Royston Smith said: "We would much rather see football pitches saved for the use of our youth rather than employing more staff for the communications department that seems to be running perfectly adequately at the moment."

Richard Ember, who has been leading the Daily Echo-backed campaign, also criticised the council post. Mr Ember, who is secretary of the Orchard Homes Sunday football league, said: "I think it communicates a very effective message. It says all that needs to be said - there's money for some things but not for those things that matter."

An advert for the new head of communication was placed in a national newspaper.

It read: "An important objective of this role will be to sell the city nationally and internationally as a centre for living, learning, leisure and inward investment.

"The resources and support are in place - now we need a champion to take us forward.''

But leader of the Labour group Councillor June Bridle warned that any appointment would have to be seen to give value for money.

She said: "If this is part of a cost-effective strategy then it has my full support but it has to be demonstrated in this case."

Council leader Councillor Adrian Vinson defended the decision.

He added: "Nobody can make any correlation between the leisure and communications budget figures.

"We need to ensure we have effective communications with our citizens and ensure they are of a high quality.

"It is part of an overall package of reorganisation in the department which will actually produce a small saving and better value for money in the light of an independent review.

"It will also be central to forging regional, national and international partnerships for both the council and the city, and its grade reflects the importance we attach to it."

The reorganisation of the council public relations department means two specialist media relations posts are to be combined.

The council press office will also lose two posts as it is merged with the marketing and graphics department.