University staff used expense accounts for luxuries including gambling trips to Las Vegas and late-night entertainment in a strip club, according to details uncovered by a freedom of information request.

Over the past two years, employees at 54 universities spent £204m on corporate credit cards to buy everything from Premier League tickets to days out at the races. Durham University spent £17m, including £2,614 at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, while Northumbria University spent £2,184 on a “corporate event” at the lapdancing club chain Spearmint Rhino.

Staff at the University of Liverpool spent £22,000 at Domino’s Pizza, while workers at City, University of London ran up a £23,790 bill in two pubs. An employee at Queen Mary University of London even used its card to pay a litter fine.



The University of Nottingham, which spent £19.8m over two academic years, defended the total, saying: “We use cards in our global operation which delivers £1bn to the economy each year.”



The 54 institutions that replied to freedom of information requests by the Sun newspaper have received £1.2bn in public funds in 2017 and 2018.



Not all universities responded to the request. Oxford refused to break down its expenses but said in total it spent £11m. The University of Bristol said it could not respond in case doing so caused distress to staff.



In total, universities spent £11,000 at Manchester United Football Club. Loughborough University paid more than £1,000 at the club.







Durham University said it had clear policies and procedures for the use of all purchasing and travel cards issued for “approved university business” and were regularly checked.



Northumbria University said the strip club payment was “reimbursed promptly” and was made “following” a corporate event its staff attended.



John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers and students will foot most of the bill for these questionable purchases. They deserve a clear explanation. Students will be appalled at how little universities seem to care about their money.”

The Tory MP Andrew Bridgen also criticised the institutions. “Universities are now big businesses and appear to have picked up some bad habits. They should have to publish these spending records annually,” he told the Sun.In March some university staff across 65 institutions went on strike following a dispute over pensions. It centres on plans to cut the benefits of universities’ Superannuation Scheme (USS).The University and College Union says this would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current system.The union ordered members to strike on 14 days spread across four weeks in the second term of studies.