Perth council bosses received £1000s in Ryder Cup perks

Bosses at Perth and Kinross Council were treated to thousands of pounds worth of Ryder Cup freebies.

Members of the press gather round the European players on the 18th green after they win the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Picture: Jane Barlow

Chief executive, Bernadette Malone, received a £320 “Ryder Cup outfit” and high-ranking colleagues enjoyed treats and drink packages, according to the authority’s gifts and hospitality register.

New data has revealed regular offers to top level employees by organisers in the run up to the prestigious 2014 golf tournament at Gleneagles. A gifts and hospitality register published on the council’s website detailed a list of items handed over, including a hospitality package for the event from the Scottish Government – the value of which the council did not reveal.

On the Ryder Cup website, hospitality packages for sale ranged from £345 to £1,750 per person dependant on the day of play and suite selected.

In contrast the register also showed that another major event, T in the Park, offered music festival tickets to council staff, but they were declined. Dozens of golf-related gifts or hospitality events have been put before the local authority since August 2013.

A council spokesman said: “Offers of gifts and hospitality below the value of £25 can be accepted without the need for permission or recording unless they are received on a recurring basis.”

A spokesperson for Ryder Cup Europe said: “Ryder Cup Europe would normally invite key stakeholders to ­hospitality who have assisted in staging and delivering events.”