KENT MP Stephen Ladyman has described the county council's £600,000 television channel as "a vanity project paid for at the expense of our older people".

Speaking from Westminster after calling for a debate "about the way KCC abuses its powers", Dr Ladyman, MP for South Thanet, said: "Kent has demonstrated crass insensitivity.

"They constantly tell us they are short of money but the reality is that they can find money to employ more PR people than 10 Downing Street, pay their top officers more than the Prime Minister and to pay for vanity projects like a TV channel.

"Older people are paying for Kent's vanity and it's not right. KCC has received record amounts of revenue support grant every year, and every year it complains.

"Not only does it get more money than the formula used to calculate council funding suggests it needs, it gets tens of millions in additional grants on top that they never tell the public about.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating - Kent can afford its own TV channel when no-other council can and can afford the highest paid officers in the country."