COUNCIL chiefs have come under attack for Worcestershire's £28 million superfast broadband project - amid claims BT is getting "too much" cash from taxpayers.

The Labour group at Worcestershire County Council has called the amount of public money going on the scheme "astonishing".

Its group leader Councillor Peter McDonald says it is wrong that the Conservative leadership is helping "one of the richest companies in Europe" at a time of serious service cuts.

But the criticism has been rejected by County Hall's leader Councillor Simon Geraghty, who insists the authority is proud of the tie-in.

The project to bring super-quick internet speeds to homes and businesses is on track to reach 55,000 properties this summer.

So far 28 per cent of the 54,180 properties, some 15,000, have signed up to make it among the best-performing across Britain.

The policy is one of the Conservative leadership's flagship projects, with around £8.5 million of the costs funded directly from county taxpayers and the rest from either central Government or BT.

Councillor McDonald, speaking during a full council meeting, said: "I refer to this astonishing amount of public money which was spent by you (Councillor Geraghty), as leader, to furrow the bed of one of the richest companies in Europe.

"That money should have been used on libraries, on youth provision, on reversing bus cuts - it's not a smiling matter when all these services are being cut.

"I think it's an abuse of your position when you're handing over all this money at a time of austerity and Government cuts."

During his rant several Tory councillors started to remonstrate with him, asking him to sit down.

Councillor Geraghty said: "Frankly we do not agree on superfast broadband.

"We've been very clear, as an administration that rolling out superfast broadband to residents and businesses is a key priority.

"It's been so successful that money has been clawed back from it, we're getting money back that we are choosing to use to roll it out even further afield to communities in Worcestershire."

He called the take-up "exceptional", adding: "I don't think it's something to be ashamed of, I'm exceptionally proud that we're rolling out superfast broadband as far as we are, and with a very successful contractor."

At the launch of the deal we revealed how the contract with BT included a 'clawback' clause, requiring the firm to hand County Hall some cash back once take-up hit 20 per cent.

That milestone was reached late last year, with BT opting to give the authority £3.2 million 10 years early - cash which is being sunk into expanding the project further so it reaches 94 per cent of Worcestershire.

Prime Minister David Cameron wants to give 95 per cent of Britain a 'legal right' to faster broadband by 2020.

But the remaining one million properties in rural parts of the country are being controversially left out, in the belief it would be poor value for money.