A cash-strapped council is forking out £1,000-a-day on a pothole consultant.
He is pocketing £130,000 for six months’ work telling the council the best way to fill holes.
The unnamed specialist began work in January – to the fury of residents suffering from cuts.
Shropshire council, which has around 3,500 potholes to fill, is trying to save £14million.
News of the appointment was ridiculed by people in the area.
One said: “How many potholes would be filled with £1,000 a day?”
It was also labelled a “breathtaking waste”, while another local chipped in: “How much is spent on adult social services?.”
The council, previously blasted for “not reacting quickly” to road damage, said its pothole guru had run “very successful operations elsewhere”.
Councillor Steve Davenport insisted £1,000-a-day “is comparable with usual consultant rates”.
