COUNCILS across the region have been criticised for spending more than �2million on taxpayer-funded credit cards over the last three years.

Several councils have spent money on lavish and bizarre items including rollerskates and glassware for a golf tournament.

The findings, revealed by a national newspaper, come after councils across the UK were ordered to cut spending by almost 30%.

In Suffolk, Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) spent �1,094,048 on a wide number of items.

These included �1,368 on gaffer tape, �954 on glassware for a mayor’s golf day and �960 on rollerskates.

Also purchased were �578 of staff name badges, an �825 flight to Azerbaijan and a payment of �575 was made to Ikea online.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council shelled out �89,540 with the majority spent on ‘court costs’ and ‘training expenses’ while Forest Heath District Council spent �20,410.

Suffolk County Council, Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, Suffolk Coastal Council and Waveney District Council, have yet to supply data for the investigation.

In Essex, Tendring District Council has spent a total of �74,872 on credit card with the majority, �52,525, being spent on legal bills. The figures also revealed that the authority spent more than �8,000 on luxurious retirement gifts for its employees.

Essex County Council (ECC) has racked up a hefty �1,371,247 including about �27,000 on travel and �34,000 on hotels.

Charlotte Linacre, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This is utterly reckless spending without thought for the consequence on other services or taxpayers.

“It’s scandalous that some councils have shown a fundamental lack of regard for taxpayers’ money. Shopaholic councils have been dishonest, claiming to be cash-strapped and threatening to cut services while they know they could be cutting their own spending.

“The nations finances are in the red and spendaholic councils who’ve been dipping into taxpayers’ pockets to fund their own lifestyle and perks should be ashamed.” David Ellesmere, the leader of IBC, said: “Obviously we are a new in-coming administration but we would like to thank the East Anglian Daily Times for bringing this to our attention. If anyone has any issues of individual items of expenditure they can pass them on and they will be investigated.”

An IBC spokesman added: “The reason we make payments in this way is that it is often the cheapest method of doing so. We are very open about our spending and are confident that there have been no abuses of the system.”

The investigation found that councils across the UK had spent over �2m on travel during the last three years and more than �500,000 was spent on expensive gifts including jewellery.