Taxpayers should be asked if they want to spend £10 million of public money on the bulls or the Bulls, says a West MP.

MP Paul Keetch believes councillors are wrong to plough millions of pounds into building a new cattle market for Herefordshire.

He wants them to ask the people of the county if they want to spend the money on the livestock industry or other projects, such as ground improvements at recently promoted Hereford United, known as the Bulls, or social housing.

"Why are they spending £10m of public money subsidising the livestock industry and building a market that will be redundant in a few years' time?" he asked. "If the auctioneers want a market, they can build one. Personally, I would prefer the money to go on housing, but even leisure-based facilities would be preferable to a cattle market.

"If the market is being sold as a show of faith in the county, then Hereford United and the huge affection it inspires has just as strong a case for the cash. The council wouldn't dream of giving a £10m to subsidise Sun Valley, Bulmers Cider or any of the big strawberry companies, so I cannot understand why they are assisting one section of the agricultural community.

"I would like to see the public consulted on how this money should be spent."

In 2003, Mr Keetch helped the council amend a Royal Charter dating back to 1597, which stated that the cattle market could be moved outside the city boundaries. The new parliamentary act paved the way for the council to evict the auctioneers from the prime city centre site needed for a major development around the football ground known as the Edgar Street Grid.

At the time, they pledged to build farmers a new market and after a long search councillors agreed to spend £2.25m on a 48-acre site in the north of the city. But they have been told the original £3m estimate for a new market has now soared to £10m and this has caused many to question the need for a market at all.

Mr Keetch said the Hereford market was mainly used by farmers from Wales and the private one at Ross-on-Wye could cope with demand from the county. He believes livestock markets will disappear as farmers increasingly trade on the internet.

And he says he has taken legal advice from the House of Commons lawyers and there is nothing in the 2003 act which requires the council to build a new market when they close the old one.

But councillors fear an expensive legal battle if they go back on their pledge and Councillor Harry Bramer, who is charged with delivering the project, said the new market was important to the rural community.

"Apart from a small number of people wanting to make a political point, support for the market is widespread," Mr Bramer said.

Councillors in Monmouthshire are facing similar criticisms after agreeing to build a new market near Raglan after evicting auctioneers from the current one to build a shopping development.