A council leader has taken action after discovering a meal with disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield had been funded by taxpayers.

Graham Butland, leader of Braintree Council, had lunch with Lord Hanningfield at the House of Lords in July 2006.

Lord Hanningfield, who at the time was leader of Essex County Council (ECC), had offered to pay for the full cost of the meal.

But Mr Butland discovered last week the peer had used his corporate credit card, and has paid the full £71.70 cost of the meal back to the taxpayer.

He said: “I just felt that at least I would have the decency to pay it back. I thought it was fair to pay the full amount back, even though he was the one who had the wine.”

Full story in today's Times.