COUNCIL leaders have cemented their commitment to money saving in an argument over a large pile of hoarded bricks.

The debate was started when members of Reading Borough Council's policy committee were asked to shed some light on a stockpile materials held in a storage shed.

Councillor Isobel Ballsdon quizzed her colleagues about the stored up supplies in Prospect Park following queries from neighbours as to what was going on.

It was later revealed the stacks of 39,000 red clay bricks were bought last November after officers secured a cheap deal on the provision they took the whole lot away on the day.

They are destined to become extensions and new classrooms on schools across the borough as part of its £61m expansion programme.

Cllr Ballsdon said: "A resident has told me that there is a huge quantity of bricks for the school expansion programme at Prospect Park.

"Please advise whether this is true and, if so, why the bricks are in this park rather than at whichever school or schools for which they have been bought."

Speaking at Monday's policy committee meeting the borough's head of education Kevin McDaniel explained it had been done in order to save money.

He said: "We were able to procure the bricks we need for the scheme provided we could take them away from the warehouse there and then.

"That is why the bricks exist and why they are stored in that place."

A council spokesman confirmed the supplies were bought at a cost of £480 per thousand compared to current prices of £520 per thousand.

The change in price saved the council a total of £1,560.

For safety reasons it was not deemed suitable to leave them at the schools which awaited work and they were left at a storage shed in the park for future use.

Cllr Tony Page said: "I would thoroughly defend and complement the officers on finding good value for money."

Cllr Tony Jones, education leader, praised the decision and said: "Officers were pragmatic to get a store of bricks in place and I only hope they are stored securely and that our colleagues in the leisure department do not think they can make them available for themselves."