BBC staff spent 14m on taxis in past year

Despite a pledge to cut spending, BBC staff spent £14million on taxis in the past financial year.

This amounts to about £38,000 per day and is a £200,000 increase on the previous year.

The Daily Mirror reports that there were 406,000 taxi journeys in total, while BBC director general Mark Thompson, his deputy and their staff spent £15,000 around London.

It's the third year running that the BBC's taxi bill has increased. But a BBC source said: "No company or public organisation is immune from the financial crisis and we face real increases in costs from fuel, utilities and other areas.

"We need to scrutinise everything we do and consider very carefully whether expenditure is appropriate in light of the financial pressures we are facing."

For the second year running, the BBC’s journalism department accounted for more than half of the taxi bill, at £7.1million.

The figures were obtained by the Mirror under the Freedom of Information Act.