£8,400 spent on away days by Olympic officials

Officials charged with keeping down the cost of the London Olympics have spent £8,400 on away days since May, the Standard can reveal today.

The Government Olympic Executive paid £4,000 to hold a business meeting at the Sadler's Wells theatre and £3,300 for community volunteering days which saw staff clear bushes and weeds from Lee Valley Regional Park.

The 100-strong team of civil servants, which aims to ensure the Games are delivered "on time, on budget and for the benefit of the whole country", also spent £1,100 on an event at a conference centre a mile from its headquarters.

The figures revealed in response to a freedom of information request also showed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £8,600 on a meeting to tell staff about job cuts.