Officials’ £18,000 hotel bill

TAXPAYERS had to foot a bill of more than £18,000 after a group of government officials stayed at a “luxury boutique resort” hotel in the Caribbean while advising local authorities on how to stop drug trafficking.

Three Border Force officers reportedly stayed at the Sugar Ridge Resort in Antigua between Jan 14 and Feb 5 in 2016 for a total of 64 nights.

The hotel says on its website that it offers guests “first class service and luxurious amenities”.

The details of the trip were revealed by the Mail Online after it obtained the spending figures through Freedom of Information requests.

The Home Office acknowledged that staying at such a hotel “might raise concerns” but it was “considered to be the most suitable option available in terms of balancing cost and security”.

However, Chloe Westley, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, labelled the expenditure as “ridiculous”.