TORY members of Malvern Hills District Council are worried the public has been misled by published figures about the costs and savings of staff cuts.

The proposed cuts at Malvern Hills District Council will cost £651,000 to implement over the next three years, it was revealed this week.

The changes to the council's senior management structure were announced in detail last month, with 14 posts being reduced to seven.

At the time, Lib Dem council leader Di Rayner said the cuts would save £500,000 over three years.

But this week, senior Tory member Paul Cumming was sent information he requested under the Freedom of Information Act about the cost of the management review. He made the request after he raised the matter at a council meeting in June, but was given an "unsatisfactory" answer.

The figures show £651,000 will be spent between 2006-9, a combination of redundancy costs and pension enhancement for senior managers whose jobs are being abolished.

"It is anticipated that these costs will provide gross savings of about £500,000 per year, of which about a half will be added back to the council's pay bill to reflect the responsibilities that will fall on remaining managers, the additional resources to carry out work that continues and the ongoing revenue costs," says the answer to his request.

Coun John Rayner, resources portfolio holder, said: "It's an expensive business letting people go, but ultimately the tax-payer will benefit from less bureaucracy and a smaller payroll."

He said he did not know where the original £500,000 figure had come from.

Coun Serena Croad, leader of MHDC's Conservative group, said she was worried about the figures.

"It's not being open and honest and we need to be open and honest. People need to know what's going on," she said.