Taxpayers forked out huge sum for civil servants to stay in luxury Spanish hotel for IT conference

TAXPAYERS forked retired £6,000 for civilian servants to enactment successful a luxury Spanish hotel.

Department for Transport officials booked six rooms for an IT conference.

The Barcelona travel successful November came conscionable months aft past Transport Secretary Louise Haigh handed bid drivers a 15 per cent wage rise.

The Claris Hotel & Spa has a rooftop bar, swimming pool, spa and 2 restaurants serving up Mediterranean and ­Japanese food.

It is successful the metropolis centre, 3.5 miles from the league centre wherever the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2024 was held.

Elliot Keck, of The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers volition beryllium livid to spot civilian servants ­living it up successful luxury hotels connected their dime.”

It is understood 5 unit stayed successful the edifice aft 1 dropped out.

One country was booked for 5 nights astatine £1,247, a authorities recognition paper spending study shows.

Four were booked for 4 nights astatine £997 per country and 1 booked for 3 nights astatine £748.

A DfT spokesperson said yesterday: “As thousands of rooms had been block-booked by league organisers, the Claris was 1 of the cheapest remaining options.”