Fresh calls have been made for Eastbourne Borough Council to slash its workforce budget.

Tory opposition leader Graham Marsden stirred up controversy earlier this year when he called for a review of jobs at the authority and warned the budget faced "death by a thousand cuts".

Coun Marsden launched a fresh attack this week, criticising the Lib Dems' planned public consultation over potential budget cuts.

He said: "Before consulting about raising taxes and cutting services, the council should put its own house in order and make much greater internal efficiency savings by reducing its £15 million wages bill now."

Council bosses announced they would have to trim about £600,000 from the budget, with possible cost-cutting exercises including the closure of the Redoubt Fortress Museum and money taken from the tourism and parks and gardens budgets.

Consultation leaflets have been sent round to residents to garner views on the proposed cuts.

Coun Beryl Healy, leader of the Lib Dem-run council said: "The success of the consultation will be based on the number of people who reply.

"So far there are more than 2,000 replies and bags full of mail to be opened."