(Reuters) The mermaid patron of a Polish coastal town faces plastic surgery after councillors decided her breasts were too small and hips too wide, a city official said on Monday.

The mermaid's looks became a hot topic during talks in the city hall on a promotion campaign for Ustka, a small port on the Baltic coast, in which the town's mermaid shield was supposed to play a key role.

"There was a discussion about the coat of arms and one female councillor said jokingly that the mermaid's breasts were too small and that she was a bit fat," city hall spokesman told Reuters.

The joke became a serious idea when local and national media got wind of the debate, giving sleepy Ustka plenty of coverage.

"We are now considering altering the mermaid slightly by making her breasts bigger and making her leaner," the spokesman said. "She will become more attractive and Ustka will gain publicity."