A DEAL to bring superfast broadband to 55,000 properties across Worcestershire is facing fresh criticism - amid claims BT has been handed "free advertising" with these garish adverts.

To encourage public interest in the £20 million project, in recent months council chiefs have been placing these bright purple lurid posters at various locations where drivers and pedestrians will see them.

The adverts, which wrap around the green fibre cabinets such as this one in Rainbow Hill, have been put up based on a deal between the county council and district authorities, bypassing actual planning committees.

The councils have agreed to avoid highly sensitive locations like listed buildings and aim for routes where they might be spotted by lots of people.

The agreement has sparked anger, with one Worcester politician saying BT has been handed "free advertising" despite taxpayers already heavily subsiding the project.

The county council has already stumped up £8.5 million towards the costs, with the rest met by BT and central Government.

Councillor Paul Denham, who sits on the city council's planning committee, says the adverts might have been refused if they were actually voted on rather than dealt with internally.

Your Worcester News can reveal how deals have been reached for 11 of them in south Worcestershire including four in Worcester, five in Malvern and two in Wychavon.

Cllr Denham said: "We have a situation where our taxes are handed over to BT, who can afford to pay over £5 billion for football TV rights so that they can make more profits.

"Not content with that, the city and county councils have now apparently agreed to allow them free advertising as well, which would be denied to other businesses."

A joint statement has been issued by the county council and BT saying both parties are "as keen for as many people as possible" to take it up.

They also say the posters direct people to the 'Superfast Worcestershire' website where details on different internet providers are available, rather than just the one.

It said: "The posters are specifically designed to catch the eyes of passers-by and raise awareness of the multi-million pound project, which is part of the Government’s broadband delivery UK programme.

"They are certainly not advertisements for any one company or service provider."

The council also added that if the take-up rate goes over 20 per cent, Worcestershire will get funding back to reinvest in the programme in the future under a 'clawback' clause in the contract.

Duncan Rudge, development control manager at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We're aware of these wraps and feel they are important to raise public awareness of superfast broadband availability.

"It is important to take a balanced approach to this sort of advertising but if the public are concerned they can get in touch with us."

Wychavon District Council said it was "great news" the project was being rolled out rapidly, while the city council pointed to the County Hall-BT statement.

There are eight phases to the Superfast Worcestershire project in total, which is on track to be complete by June 2016.

Superfast speeds will allow people to watch films, download multiple files and make the most of the internet instantly.

Despite strong support for it within the Conservative leadership at County Hall and the wider business community, the opposition Labour group has always questioned its costs to the public purse, arguing that BT should go in alone.

In February we revealed how the council was criticised for using taxpayers' cash to market it, including £2,500 on printing off 5,000 A5 leaflets to advertise the scheme.