Senior Sandwell Council workers spend £4k on first-class rail travel
Senior Sandwell council workers racked up almost £4,000 in first-class rail bills during the last two years, it has been revealed.
The cash-strapped authority was left to foot the bill as executives and directors travelled in style.
Figures showed top brass paid up to £238 a time to travel first-class.
The train journeys were either paid for directly by the council or through expenses claims.
The amount spent by the council was revealed through the Freedom on Information Act and has been criticised by the Taxpayers' Alliance who called it a waste of money.
But council chief executive Jan Britton has defended the figures.
The journeys taken were to and from London Euston from Sandwell and Dudley station.
The council's chief executive Mr Britton, leader Steve Eling, director of children's services and director of adult social care, health and wellbeing were among those listed as having travelled first-class since 2015.
There were a total of 27 first-class journeys, with 12 of those anytime return tickets costing £238 each.
The reasons for travel included meetings with Government ministers, Ofsted, the Department of Education and various other engagements.
The total came to £3,981.50 and the amount spent by a council needing to save millions of pounds over the next three years was questioned by John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance.
He said: "Taxpayers will not be amused. Sandwell residents have seen their council tax rise by over 35 per cent over the last 20 years, so for council fat cats to travel in luxury at taxpayers' expense is unlikely to go down well with hard-pressed families.
"Councils need to be far better at delivering value for taxpayers' money so that more can go towards essential front line services such as adult social care."
Jan Britton, chief executive, said: “Sometimes it is necessary for senior officers and councillors to travel by train at short notice to attend meetings in London as part of essential council business.
"Train travel also allows officers and councillors to work while travelling to and from meetings and make the best use of their time.”
