Dudley Council staff warned over £5.5m cards bill

Purchases by Dudley Council staff included flights to attend award shows in Edinburgh and fast food from KFC.

Council leader David Sparks said he was surprised by the figures and demanded the circumstances were double checked.

But he reiterated that the use of the cards were made during the course of the 'normal business of the council'. Five councils spent a total of £7.5m in one financial year on cards. Dudley

Council paid more than £417 sending three of its staff by plane to Edinburgh for an awards ceremony.

The return flights to the Edge Innovation Awards were considered the most economic way of getting to Edinburgh and back for three people because at the time the return train fares were around £200 per person.

The same authority has also funded 147 transactions at KFC or McDonald's, which council bosses say may have been for children. Councillor Sparks said the food bought for children would be reconsidered after the authority launched a five-year plan to tackle obesity in the borough.

Figures show 21 per cent of people are obese in Dudley. The authority was the biggest spender out of the region's councils, with £5.5m from 2011 to 2012 paid on 862 corporate purchase cards distributed throughout its workforce.

Staff made 50,407 transactions in 12 months, including meals in top restaurants and nights in hotels around the country.

Councillor Sparks said: "I have written to all members of the council. I want to point out that we do not have corporate credit cards. There are some references in there to expenditure that does not look right as far as I'm concerned and I've asked for that to be double checked. The cards are used for the normal business of the council."

He says he will also query why £321.15 was paid at the upmarket Tree Hotel in High Wycombe, as he says he 'stays in a Travelodge' when on business.

Other payments including £885 at Halesowen Golf Club and £102 at Himley House will be reviewed, he added.