Lambeth’s axed fireworks displays could have been saved by scrapping a glossy council “propaganda” newsletter, a councillor has claimed.

The cost of printing and delivering the 120,000 Up Your Street (UYS) newsletters that dropped on residents’ doormats last week was £12,000.

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Ashley Lumsden said the newsletter contained information that could have been included in the council newspaper Lambeth Life – that recent figures show relies on £163,146 a year of taxpayer cash to prop it up.

He said the Labour administration was set to spend £48,000 on UYS this year producing the seasonal newsletter – when it could have been used to pay for the displays in Streatham common and Brockwell Park.

The council announced last month it was to scrap the two bonfire night displays to save £35,000, because of a reduction in Government cash.

But Coun Lumsden said: “The Labour administration is blaming the Lib Dem and Conservative Government for reductions in finance that are forcing it to cut community events like the displays.

“But it also needs to look at its own spending. It seems happy to cut everywhere else but its budget for propaganda and PR.”

Councillor Paul McGlone, cabinet member for finance, said: “Spending on communications represents a tiny fraction of the council’s outgoings.

“This leaflet is ward-specific, more detailed than what has been in Lambeth Life previously and paid for by making savings elsewhere in communications spending.”