THE leader of Worcester City Council has been accused of hatching the Swan Theatre rescue package in "secret".

Opposition councillors on Worcester City Council launched the attack on Coun Stephen Inman last night.

Last week, the Evening News revealed Chris Jaeger, the director of Huntingdon Hall, was the council's "preferred bidder" to take charge of the venue.

But at a meeting of the community services policy and review committee, Labour members told Coun Stephen Inman they were concerned there had been no formal bidding process and that only two cabinet members and three officers were involved in the interview process to select a new manager.

"I find it absolutely outrageous that the first thing the majority of councillors hear about the preferred bidder is on the pages of the Evening News," said Coun Paul Denham.

"I have no way of knowing whether I would have chosen the same bidder," he added.

Coun Roger Berry said council members had been "totally excluded" from the project.

"We don't normally release things like this to the Press before it has gone to a council committee," he said.

Coun Inman said the democratic process would come in to play when the decision went before the cabinet later this month followed by the full council in March.

"It is within your remit to try and call that decision in so the matter can be debated by the council.

"But I hope the process will not jeopardise the plans to re-open the theatre in April," he said.

He added that no formal brief had been drawn up before the bidders were interviewed because of the time limitations and that all the bids had been unsolicited.

Labour leader and chairman of the committee, Coun Adrian Gregson, said he had noted the "subtle threat" about the call-in procedure.

"When we try and question you about this issue, albeit from a disadvantage because we are questioning in the dark, you appear to be somewhat defensive," he said.

"And if we were to call it in we would be condemned for delaying the decision."

The cabinet will discuss the issue on Tuesday, February 25, and the final decision will be made by the full council on Tuesday, March 4.