A ROW has erupted over plans to spend £200,000 worth of taxpayers' money on 100 fibre-glass toads in Hull.

The model toads will be placed around the city later this summer as part of a festival marking the 25th anniversary of the death of poet Philip Larkin.

Most of the funding for the £290,000 toad project is being met by Hull City Council with a one-off £200,000 grant.

For the same money the local authority could afford to repair 3,500 potholes.

Earlier this week the council said it was calling on the Government to provide extra funding to help tackle the crumbing condition of the city's roads.

Opposition Labour group leader Councillor Steve Brady said: "I've got nothing against the arts or poetry but I just think this decision is absolutely staggering.

"At a time when the roads are in such a terrible state and local community sports clubs are facing possible closure because they can't get a penny out of the council, it seems we are quite happy to spend £200,000 on a load of fibre-glass toads.

"I can't imagine what most people are going to think about this but I know it's not going to go down well at all."

Full details of the toad project are due to be officially announced next week.

It aims to celebrate two of former Larkin's most famous poems, Toads and Toads Revisited.

Larkin was librarian at the University of Hull.

The project will feature a giant toad and 100 smaller one-metre high toads which will placed around the city to create a huge trail for people to follow.

Each of the smaller toads will be decorated by local artists.

But Councillor Rick Welton, Liberal Democrat cabinet member for regeneration, said the toads would attract visitors and publicity to the city during the Larkin festival, bringing in extra investment.

He also said they would be used in schools as curriculum projects promoting poetry and literature.

"Instead of looking at the negatives, I believe there are going to be a lot of positives from this," he said.