NEWLY-RELEASED figures show that Brighton and Hove City Council spent more than £3,000 on petrol for the mayoral car since 2015.

The data obtained by the TaxPayers’ Alliance shows the council’s environmentally-friendly Toyota Prius Hybrid cost £4,593 in total, which included MoTs and car valeting.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Compared with other city councils across the country, Brighton and Hove’s spending on the mayor’s car is very low.

“However, we remain committed to making savings where possible without compromising the service provided by the mayor to the city, its communities and its residents.”

About 60 per cent of councils in the UK use a mayoral car and of those, Brighton and Hove Council’s expenditure is considerably lower than most.

Local authorities spent £4.5 million on vehicles with the average spend at £21,804.

Elsewhere in the county, Lewes Council, West Sussex County Council, and East Sussex County Council spent nothing, and Adur Council did not respond to a Taxpayers’ Alliance request for details of its expenditure.

The spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council added: “Each year the mayor of Brighton and Hove carries out about 600 engagements across the city, seven days a week, including very early starts and late finishes, to promote a verity of activities supporting charities, community groups and the city as a whole.

“Inviting the mayor to events helps local organisations to raise the profile of their event, resulting in higher attendances, valuable publicity and increased funding.”

Three local authorities, Cheshire West, Cheshire East, and Kensington and Chelsea own a Bentley Continental Flying Spur which costs more than £130,000.

Nine councils spent taxpayers’ money on personalised number plates, with others, like Brighton and Hove City Council, purchasing their personalised plate many years ago.

In the last three years, £2.7 million has been spent by councils on buying and leasing mayoral cars.

Commenting on the findings of the investigation, John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “Some travel will of course be necessary to conduct duties but families who struggle to pay their council tax bill will roll their eyes at the thought of their hard-earned money being spent on Bentleys and Jaguars for mayors to attend functions.

“Every penny wasted on excessive travel expenses is money that could be going towards social care or bin collections.”