A COUNCIL’S delegation to the Olympic Games in China has come under fire again, after Tories revealed that the true cost of the trip was £10,000 more than originally claimed.

According to Greenwich Council a delegation of six officials was flown business class to Beijing on a fact finding mission, on August 12, at a cost of £14,000.

But figures obtained by the Conservative Party in Greenwich under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the actual cost of the trip was more than £25,000.

Greenwich will host nine sports in the London 2012 Olympic Games but Newham borough, where the 2012 Olympic park is being built, only sent four officials and spent £9,000.

Tory councillor Spencer Drury said: “I believe it’s a substantial waste of taxpayers’ money. Spending this sort of money seems unreasonable.”

The council says that previous figures only related to accomodation and travel expenses and did not include translator fees, gifts, and costs due to some officials having to stay longer than the planned return date of August 19.