LORD Hanningfield spent more than a quarter of a million pounds of taxpayers' money in just five years, his council credit card statements reveal.
During his time as leader of Essex County Council, he racked up a £287,000 bill on his corporate credit card between 2005 and 2010, to dine out in the best restaurants and take lavish trips abroad.
Essex County Council published the information after City of London Police dropped their investigation into the 72-year-old's council expenses last week.
But the Chronicle has learnt that Essex County Council could take legal action against their former boss in a bid to retrieve some of the money.
"I admit there was a lot wrong for a long time," said Peter Martin, the current leader of the county council.
"It should not have happened and it went on too long."
In the five-year period, Lord Hanningfield visited 24 countries, including the Bahamas, Uganda, and New Zealand, at the expense of the Essex taxpayer.
He clocked up a £136,000 overseas travel bill, including £1,538 at the £170-a-night Imperial in New Delhi, described as the best luxury hotel in India.
Liberal Democrat opposition councillor Mike Mackrory said: "He was allowed to continue claiming excessive amounts to fund his extravagant lifestyle at enormous public expense.
"Questions remain as to why this abuse of council taxpayers' money was not acted on immediately and allowed to continue."
The former pig farmer's jet setting lifestyle – which also included trips to Australia, Hong Kong and Canada – stands in stark contrast to current council leader Peter Martin, who has made just one trip to Brussels in his two-year tenure.
Mr Martin said he was "shocked and surprised" when he learnt of Lord Hanningfield's spending.
Essex taxpayers spent £7,700 to send the peer and a colleague to a three-day conference in the Bahamas in 2008, including visits to some of the Caribbean island's finest restaurants.
He also spent £2,428 to attend the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin with two colleagues – and £232 on vaccinations for a trip to Sri Lanka.
Chelmsford MP Simon Burns likened the revelations to the parliamentary expenses scandal in 2009 and backed calls for the peer to repay some of the money.
Jonathan Isaby, of the pressure group The Taxpayers' Alliance, added: "The residents of Essex will be aghast and perplexed that their former leader spent £280,000 of their money as he travelled the world – staying at very nice hotels and eating at very good restaurants – spending huge amounts on hospitality both in Essex and London."
Lord Hanningfield was leader of Essex County Council for ten years before stepping down in February 2010 after police began investigating his parliamentary expenses.
He was found guilty of expenses fraud and sentenced to nine months in prison last summer, but served just nine weeks.
On his release from jail, Essex Police announced that they were examining allegations from Essex County Council that the peer had fiddled his county council expenses too.
Last week, the City of London force, who took over the case from Essex Police, dropped all charges against the politician, prompting Lord Hanningfield to call for an independent inquiry into why the council reported him in the first place.
