Council leader's £50 cab journeys

Worcestershire County Council has spent£245 on taxis to take its leader home from meetings.

George Lord claimed the bill for five journeys between Birmingham and his home near Bromsgrove.

A peak-time return rail ticket between Bromsgrove and Birmingham New Street costs £5.50 while as a pensioner, Dr Lord could have travelled free by bus.

But the county council said it had decided taxis were the "appropriate" way for the council leader to travel.

In a statement, it said: "In these circumstances, when Dr Lord was attending meetings in central Birmingham, the use of a public taxi was seen as the most appropriate form of public transport travel and allowed Dr Lord to commit the journey time to council business."

The council said it paid its 57 councillors more than £800,000 in allowances and expenses.

This included more than £36,000 in travel expenses.