Swansea mayor's car sold after running up £8,000 costs

A VW Phaeton of the type which had been leased for the Lord Mayor's use

The car used by the Lord Mayor of Swansea has been sold after racking up more than £8,000 of servicing and maintenance costs in two years.

The current mayor, Councillor Peter Black, is now being driven around in a hired Ford Mondeo.

Council bosses had opted to buy the previous car - a VW Phaeton - after leasing it between 2011 and 2017.

They said that was "the most cost-effective option" when the lease came to an end.

The authority had been paying £8,800 per year to lease the vehicle and bought it for £9,075, excluding VAT, in December 2017.

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But servicing and maintenance costs, which were previously covered under the lease, have mushroomed in recent months.

Between 1 April and 31 August this year these costs reached £4,561, taking the total to £8,427 since the purchase.

The car was sold at auction for £4,700.

Peter Black and his wife Angela represent the city of Swansea at important events

The figures for costs of running the civic vehicle were released following a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, but do not include the driver's salary.

In a statement, Swansea Council said the VW Phaeton was initially leased as "the most efficient and effective way of managing a vehicle which was going to be in constant use".

"At the end of the lease period we took the opportunity to purchase the vehicle as this was the most cost-effective option." it added.

"However, in the past year, the maintenance cost of the car has increased due to its age and mileage.

"Consequently, the vehicle has been sold and a hire car is being used in the interim while the council finds a replacement which will comply with the council's green fleet policy."

The longer-term replacement could be a hybrid or electric car.