FURY over the latest Freedom of Information (FOI) request that shows Cumbria County Council staff spent almost £1million on expenses in the 2020/21 year.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request shows the total spent on purchase/business expenses for council staff up to November 8 as £982,889.82 with the majority of that (92 per cent) being spent on mileage.

In the response from Cumbria County Council explained: "Business expenses in this instance is anything that a staff member spends (potentially from their own finances to get reimbursed at a later date. Typical examples will be fuel; hotel stays on council business; stationery.

"The council does not hold purchase/credit cards for this type of expenditure, we have corporate contracts and should staff incur expenses on behalf of the council they reclaim them via payroll expenses (iTrent)."

Engaltown said: "Putting aside the CCC's expenses which may or may not be fully justified, the public sector is otherwise an out of control money monster with an insatiable appetite. I know this to be true having spent half my working life working for county and district councils.

"And it doesn't end when employees finish working. The tax payer ends up having to subsidise the underfunded public sector pension schemes."

Comencence said: "So 1million on expenses. I bet our council tax goes up next year.

Ziggydog said: "What is interesting is the elected council have an expenses budget equal to the whole of the permanently employed council workforce."

@captain caveman75 said: "They deserve it because there doing a excellent job in homing refugees and sorting pot holes out I think it's right that put up council tax so they can improve the county for everyone."

The Good Cumbrian said: "After 11 years of the Tories and their idealistic austerity, I really don't think there's any money left in the public sector for anyone to realistically believe it is an 'out of control money monster' any more.

"Can't say I feel better off for it either, all I've noticed is fewer public services that I used to rely on, operated at poorer quality."