Key Olympic official wins bonus worth £200,000

A KEY Whitehall official behind the Olympic Games was handed a bonus of around £200,000 last year, it has been revealed.

Jeremy Beeton, director-general of the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), was given the payment on top of his £230,000 salary.

The reward was disclosed in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) latest set of accounts, which have been issued months behind schedule.

Mr Beeton, who left his post last November, received the Order of the Bath for his role in delivering the Games in the New Year Honours.

DCMS said his bonus of £195,000-£200,000 in 2011-12 was the result of hitting annual and long-term targets. The previous year he was awarded £130,000-£135,000.

The department’s report said: “Jeremy Beeton was appointed in 2007, following an external competition, on a fixed-term contract ending in 2012 after the Olympic and Paralympic games.

“His remuneration, agreed with HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, reflects his extensive experience in the construction industry with the unique challenge of delivering the Olympics to a fixed deadline.”