A mayor's plan to make an official visit to a town in Lithuania has been condemned.

Councillors have claimed that the 927-mile trip to Plunge, the 16th biggest city in Lithuania, is a waste of taxpayers money.

But the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells,Cllr Mike Rusbridge, has defended the visit and said it is “no different” to a trip to Gravesend.

Cllr Sean Holden (Con) said the trip would be of no benefit to his constituents in Benenden and Cranbrook.

He said: “I don’t think there’s any special benefit to Tunbridge Wells. I think it’s a total waste of money.”

Cllr Mike Rusbridge, the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells

Cllr Rusbridge will be accompanied by his wife Chris for the trip on Saturday, August 30. It will cost £600.

The couple will attend the third International Myklos Oginskis Music Festival, and will return home the following day.

The money, to be taken from the council’s Wiesbaden twinning budget,

will cover the couple’s air fare and a gift for their hosts.

A council statement said: “Other costs, principally accommodation, are being met by the hosts.”

Cllr Roy Bullock (Con), the leader of the council, declined to say how trip was being funded, or how much it would cost, but details were released after a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Cllr Rusbridge denied the visit is the first step towards twinning the towns.

He said: “The object is to broaden links between our town and Plunge.

“The visit happens to be to Plunge in Lithuania. If it was to Gravesend, what would be the difference?”

The council’s statement claimed: “A significant number of citizens from Lithuania have settled in Tunbridge Wells since it became part of the EU in 2004.

“This is seen as a positive step in forging a partnership between the two towns, a relationship which needs to be sustainable into the future.”

But Cllr Holden said he did not believe there were sufficient workers from Lithuanian workers in the borough to justify the trip.

Figures showed about 860 migrant workers from the 10 new EU states were in the borough and he added: “Most of these are from Poland.”

The council said the trip would promote school and college exchanges, sporting and business links, and cultural ties.