WALTHAM Forest Council has appointed Boris Johnson's deputy chief press officer as its new head of media relations.

Joe Derrett, who is also a former head of the London Labour party's press office, will begin his role next month.

The council's corporate communications department, which produces the council information sheet WFN, spent more than £2m in the last financial year.

The net figure was £623,000, but the council's opposition Conservative group believe the cost to the taxpayer is much higher as other council departments pay to advertise in WFN.