THERE is nothing legally improper whatsoever with the payment of £50,000 to the former director of Firstsite.

But morally, it stinks.

We are in a time of national austerity.

Locally, IVF treatments are being cancelled and Colchester’s meals on wheels centre closed.

So for the boss of an art gallery to be given £50,000 of taxpayers’ money – for overseeing a period which most would consider a failure – is obscene.

Mr Rowe may have had such a payment condition in his contract.

He shouldn’t have.

Such golden handshakes may be customary in the publicly-funded arts world.

They shouldn’t be.

The failure of Firstsite over recent years may not be attributable to Mr Rowe but, as director, he surely has to shoulder some of the blame.

In the private sector, such dismal financial and visitor performance numbers rarely come with a pat on the back and a big cheque.

This payment, which local politicians were not even aware of, will simply add to the charity’s debts.

We support calls for an inquiry and for there to be much more transparency over all Firstsite’s affairs. Starting now.

A promising new era has dawned at Firstsite which we fully support.

We will give it all the encouragement we can.

But looking to the future does not mean the skeletons of the past should lie undisturbed.