Musicians paid £25k at Public

Artists and musicians who have performed at controversial Black Country arts centre The Public have been paid £25,050 of taxpayers' money.

The figure was released under Freedom of Information laws.

Cash was shared between 85 acts at the West Bromwich gallery since June. It does not include events put on by Public Gallery Ltd, the private firm that went into administration in February.

Cash came out of £450,000 European Union funding for the Destination West Bromwich project set up by Sandwell Council. The council put £800,000 into the scheme.

The New Street gallery has so far cost £63 million and has not taken a paying customer because technology-based art was hit by glitches. All concerts and other events were free.

Councillor Tony Ward, leader of the Tory opposition in Sandwell, said spending more putting on events when the gallery was not turning a profit seemed "very ill thought out."

Sandwell Council data protection officer Nigel Parr declined to provide details on what each artist was paid.