A council has been accused of being "dishonest" about how much it cost to install a rainbow crossing in a park last year.
The colourful crossing was placed in Leavesden Country Park in November which Three Rivers District Council says is in recognition of LGBTQ+ communities.
The artwork was met with a mixed reaction with some praising the council for the idea while others said the project was a "waste of money".
Three Rivers district Labour councillor Steve Cox says he "supports" the crossing but says the council has not been "truthful" about how much it cost.
Cllr Cox has shared a document, received following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, that states the crossing cost £2,200 in total.
But he says the council initially issued a press release stating "the installation cost £1,800, only just more than repainting a normal crossing". Cllr Cox estimates a normal crossing to be around £1,000.
Meanwhile, Lib Dem councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, who came up with the crossing idea, said in the summer it would cost "no more than £1,000".
After Cllr Cox raised concerns, the release was changed to "the installation cost £1,800" but the councillor says it did not mention an extra £400 that was spent on design and off-site manufacturing costs.
Cllr Cox said: "What is totally wrong here is that council has not been up front about the cost right from the start and instead issued a misleading and factually inaccurate press release at public expense.
"What has happened is that Liberal Democrat meddling and spin has been pumped out at public expense in an attempt to justify and gloss over the costs and that is indefensible.
"It would have been much simpler to have been honest in the first place and still even now, the council can’t bring itself to admit to the full cost on its website."
The Observer has seen correspondence between the council and Cllr Cox which states the lead member - Cllr Giles-Medhurst - "wished" to make amendments to the draft press release, including adding the word "just".
Cllr Giles-Medhurst says councillors do not write or draft press releases and in spite of the FOI evidence, claims council officers have "confirmed the figure is £1,800 for the painting and installation of the crossing".
Cllr Cox says he has submitted a formal complaint to the council and intends to take the issue to the Local Government Ombudsman.
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