COUNTY HALL is in a pickle after selling sandwiches made in London despite pledging to support Oxford traders and cut carbon emissions.

The lunchtime snacks were previously made by staff in Oxfordshire County Council’s Common Hall Café.

But that was stopped last year, and the sandwiches, which are sold to councillors, workers and visitors, are now delivered from more than 50 miles away.

The council said it was because London-based catering firm Greencore offered better prices.

Last night Larry Sanders, Green party member for East Oxford, said: “It’s senseless. It’s expensive to bring them from London and it’s silly not to use the people we have.

“It’s not as if there is anything particularly special about them.

“The people in County Hall used to make them and they were much cheaper and much better. If local people can do the job why should we not employ local people?”

About 120 sandwiches come from the capital in three deliveries of 40 packs each week .

Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition Zoe Patrick yesterday paid £2.50 for a tuna mayo sandwich at the café.

She said: “It doesn’t make sense to import sandwiches sold to staff and council members from London, when they could easily be either made in-house or given to a local business to provide.

“I hope this will now be looked at seriously for the future. The current situation is neither green nor practical.”

In 2007 Witney MP David Cameron, now Prime Minister, helped launch a bid to cut the council’s carbon footprint by 18 per cent in five years. And the council has since said it wants to cut emissions in half by 2030.

It also signed up to the Federation of Small Businesses’ Keep Trade Local Campaign in 2008.

There are more than 15 sandwich businesses in Oxford and Kate El-Barhdadi, manager of Heroes in Ship Street, said local shopkeepers needed the council’s support. She said: “It would be nice for Oxford to keep it within Oxford. We would be quite happy to give them a quote.”

Deborah Bell, owner of On The Hoof in North Parade Avenue, said many firms in the city could deliver the sandwiches on foot.

She said: “We’re all struggling. It doesn’t look good for the council if they are not being seen supporting local businesses.”

Margaret Coles, chairman of the Oxfordshire Federation of Small Businesses, blamed procurement rules that require councils to take the cheapest deal. She said: “It’s ridiculous. If they used to do it on site I would ask why they don’t do it now and I would wonder how much they are actually saving.”

The council pays Greencore for the sandwiches and sells them in the café but does not make a profit.

The council said its staff prepare and sell more than 150 salads and 80 baguettes a week but do not have time to prepare sandwiches.

Council spokesman Gemma Watts said the London firm was picked as its prices were competitive. But she added: “We are currently in discussion with one local company and will look at the viability of using them.”