Council chiefs have refused to reveal how much taxpayers’ cash was spent bringing Peter Andre to Perth for this year’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony.
The local authority came under fire last night after it said that details of the Mysterious Girl singer’s performance fees would be withheld for fear of “breach of confidence”.
Crowds swarmed to Perth city centre last month to watch the pop star help switch on the Christmas lights.
At its peak, there were nearly 30,000 people jostling for space on High Street and St John Street a significant increase on last year’s numbers.
The council last night announced that the event, part of its ongoing Winter Festival programme, helped pump £1.9 million into the city’s economy, “vindicating” its decision to build on last year’s extravaganza.
Although the public’s reaction to the event was generally positive, many retailers said that their trade actually plummeted during the celebrations, despite increased footfall to the area.
They have condemned local authority bosses for failing to disclose the cost of staging Andre’s 30-minute show.
The council failed to fully respond to a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Courier.
A spokesman said the cost of providing entertainment on the day was nearly £57,000, plus £4,500 for travel, accommodation and expenses.
But the council has stopped short of providing a breakdown of performance fees for Andre and four other acts, including Boney M, who performed on the night.
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