Three Home Office officials run up £18k bill staying at luxury Caribbean resort for NINE weeks
The dream trip was undertaken by Border Force officials advising authorities at Antigua's main airport about drug trafficking.
THREE government officials ran up an £18,000 bill during an extended stay at a luxury Caribbean resort.
The dream trip was undertaken by Border Force officials advising authorities at Antigua's main airport about drug trafficking.
But they were put up in the luxurious Sugar Ridge Resort where rooms with incredible sea views can cost up to £450 a night.
The resort also boasts three swimming pools, two restaurants and a health spa it claims is the only one of its kind on the island.
The officials' trip cost £12,126 for accommodation, £4,144 in subsistence, £1,310 for car hire and £994 in flights, reported.
A campaign group has lashed out at the costs, branding the trip "ridiculous".
Chloe Westley, Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: "Hard pressed families who work hard and pay their taxes could only dream of experiencing some of the luxuries that these officials have taken for granted on the public purse.
"The Home Office should be more respectful of taxpayers money and reconsider whether these working visits abroad are needed, especially at a time when other savings are being made across government departments."
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Sugar Ridge's website boasts it is Antigua’s "newest 4-star luxury boutique resort".
It adds: "All 60 well-appointed rooms wrap around an exotic tropical hillside providing undisturbed seclusion.
"Soak in your own plunge pool boasting views of the Caribbean Sea and the property’s 43 acres of lush indigenous flora and fauna.
"Escape to the white sands of Turner’s Beach or Valley Church Beach, both a secluded oasis with attentive Sugar Ridge staff on hand, all just minutes away in our free shuttle."
The Sun Online has requested comment from the Home Office.
A spokesperson told MailOnline the resort was chosen because it offered the right balance between cost and security, as well as a ";significant discount" on their standard tourist rates.
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