COUNCILS in Gwent spent nearly £36,000 on flights to Europe and other global destinations, a report has revealed.

Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request by the Taxpayers’ Alliance show that £273,987.64 has been spent by local authorities in Wales since 2015.

The cost of airline flights chartered by Gwent authorities accounted for 13 per cent – £35,727.35 – of the total bill.

Caerphilly council’s outlay of £13,571.83, which including two flights to Europe and five flights elsewhere in the world, made them the highest spenders in the region.

A council spokesman disclosed that all the 28 journeys were economy flights, with six being taken for social care purposes.

Two flights were booked for council social workers to accompany children flying to an adoption placement in Dallas, Texas.

The council also paid for a child to fly to Johannesburg in South Africa to be placed with a family member, and to reunite a child with distant family in Banjul, Gambia.

A flight was also made to Stuttgart in Germany for a town twinning event between the authority and the town of Ludwigsburg, a relationship which has existed since 1960.

Torfaen and Monmouthshire councils made 37 and 25 flights to Europe, spending a total for the three-year period of £6,278.43 and £9,643.35 respectively.

Blaenau Gwent council spent £5,450.18, organising 10 flights to Europe – but a spokesman stressed that the authority always aimed to find the most cost-effective options when travelling long distances.

“Councils weigh up the costs and benefits of long distance travel and strive to get the best deal available,” he said.

“Air travel can be the most economical option for international travel in the few instances the council has had to attend meetings for specialist training or European-funded projects in the last few years.”

Similarly, a spokesman for Torfaen council added:  “Torfaen council is committed to getting value for money and spent a little over six thousand pounds over a three year period. This was spent entirely on budget airlines and economy tickets.”

Elsewhere Newport council's expenditure of £794.56 made them the lowest spenders, with statistics suggesting all flights were made within the UK.

Newport and Monmouthshire councils were approached for comment.