Leicester City Council's most senior officers and councillors went on a two-day conference to Rutland last year to discuss how to plan for the year ahead.

Expense claims made by the chief executive Sheila Lock show that the trip to Barnsdale Hall Hotel, near Oakham, cost taxpayers £5,505.

A request under the Freedom of Information Act shows this was for 20 people to stay a night in the three-star hotel on the banks of Rutland Water, and use conference facilities, in May last year.

Five officers needed for administrative reasons did not stay overnight.

Ms Lock said they were doing the same again this year at the same hotel.

"This was to talk about the council's annual plan," she said. "It is fairly standard practice for the top team at a council to come together and plan for the coming year.

"Anyone who works in large organisations will know that it is difficult to get people together at one time and focus without distraction."

The hotel charged £175 each for the 20 people who stayed overnight, plus another £70 for use of facilities during the day.

The cost of the other five during the day was £70.

The Mercury spoke to the long-serving chief executive of Leicestershire County Council John Sinnott, who said that he had never organised anything similar for his top officers and the authority's cabinet.