A BID to use part of a publicly-funded museum as an MP’s constituency office have been slammed as “outrageous”.

Liberal Democrats have hit out at a Conservative plan to use a part of Vale and Downland Museum, should the Tories win the Wantage seat in next month’s General Election.

But trustees at museum, on Church Street, Wantage, said Tory candidate Ed Vaizey’s rent would be very welcome.

Mr Vaizey was elected as Wantage MP in 2005 and kept his seat in 2010 with a 24 per cent majority. He is now standing again for the Tories.

Mr Vaizey’s constituency office is currently in Wallingford, but the museum said it reached an agreement that if he is re-elected on May 7 he could take an upstairs room as his office.

Richard Webber, Liberal Democrat group leader on Vale of White Horse District Council, said the plan was “outrageous”.

He said: “The museum’s trustees, who are also Tory councillors, have arranged to rent out a large chunk to make Ed Vaizey’s political office.

“Whatever space is used will be space that isn’t available to the public.

“I think it is absolutely outrageous – I would like to know exactly what he would be paying.”

The museum has charitable status and relies on public donations and grant funding to operate. It has six directors who are trustees, two of whom are Conservative Wantage town councillors – Fiona Roper and St John Dickson.

Mrs Roper, also a Conservative councillor on the Vale and current Mayor of Wantage, said: “He has offered us a considerable rent for it.

“The museum is a charity, we can use the money and that room isn’t used very much at the moment.

“We are very happy to have the extra rent because we are very tight at the museum – we can’t afford to employ a manager. This will help ends meet.

“The hope is that in one year we will break even and be able to employ a full-time manager.”

She said that whoever won the seat on May 7 would be welcome to use the office, although she said if the winner was Lib Dem candidate Alex Meredith, he may be more likely to choose an office in his hometown Faringdon.

Mr Vaizey refused to reveal how much rent he was offering to pay for the office and Mrs Roper has not yet revealed if he has offered to pay the market rate.

In a statement, Mr Vaizey’s spokeswoman Charlotte Dickson, also a Conservative Wantage town councillor, said: “Wantage is an ideal location in the centre of the constituency for a constituency office.

“If Ed is successful in the forthcoming election he is keen to support a community organisation – the Vale and Downland Museum fits this criteria.

“It is inappropriate to release details of any possible agreement at this stage as the electorate still have to deliver their verdict.

“Any rent would be paid through an IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) allowance that MPs are given for administration costs.”