A much-touted new £15,000 logo for Didcot has been scrapped and replaced by another, costing thousands more.

South Oxfordshire District Council unveiled Didcot's new logo produced by international branding and design firm Lloyd Northover in May, to 'sell' the town to future residents, retailers and businesses.

The logo project is part of a near £100,000 scheme to re-brand Didcot and, through professional marketing, drive home the message of the town's growing opportunities for employment, shopping and culture.

But councillors have revealed they scrapped it because of design problems — and paid local firm Oxford Marketing £9,900 to come up with a new one.

Lloyd Northover was paid £15,000 for its work on the logo even though the council thought it couldn't be used the way it wanted.

The original logo — a series of spheres containing a intricate scientific motif — would have been impossible to reproduce at different sizes the council said.

John Cotton, the council's cabinet member for Didcot, said continuing with the original sphere idea from Lloyd Northover would be too expensive.

He added: "The reaction we got to the logo wasn't the right reaction either. The application which we needed wasn't going to work in a scalable way. It needed something simple and straightforward we could put on flyers and promotional material."

The council wants to keep the 'Brilliant Didcot' motto, which Lloyd Northover came up with originally.

Mr Cotton said: "The final logo sums up the whole notion of brilliant Didcot. It's simple and it's immediately obvious what it is. The notion of brilliant horizons is really aspirational and it conveys the excitement in Didcot with all the things that are to come over the next five to 10 years."

In total Lloyd Northover was paid £98,000 for its work on the branding project, which included drawing up a 'vision statement', for where Didcot will be in 15 years, the brand theme 'Brilliant Didcot', and designs for two feature gateways to mark the town's eastern and western entrances.

Mr Cotton said he was convinced it was money well spent and the council had got value for money.

He said: "I can see why people might think it's a waste of money. I was very cynical about it to start with. But we had to be clear about what Didcot stands for and what it will stand for. You can't just make that up on the back of an envelope, or it would have had no credibility at all."

The new logo will be rolled out across the town, alongside the motto 'Brilliant Didcot' and is likely to appear on promotional material, street furniture and signs in November.

At the Didcot Community Forum earlier this month, a meeting attended by representatives from the community groups, councillors and residents, the new logo was largely welcomed.

But former mayor of Didcot Bernard Cooper said it reminded him of a car crash.

Eileen McKechnie, 53, of Church Street, said: "The new logo is definitely better, it doesn't look like Christmas like the other one did. It's clearer and simpler and the catchline is good. But I can't believe they spent that money."

Ann Buirks, 60, of Fleet Meadow, Didcot, said: "I like it, but it doesn't warrant that money. My friend's little boy who is two could have done better."