British Gas blows £25,000 on a boozy party at a luxury hotel... then makes 158 staff redundant

• Delegates enjoyed three-course meal with wine and an overnight stay
• Weeks later 158 staff were sacked in its Leicester and Oxford offices
• 'It's disgusting, it throws a boozy knees-up to impress new staff, then a few weeks later more than 150 people lose their jobs', one said

By Martin Robinson

British Gas executives splashed £25,000 on a 'boozy knees-up' at a luxury hotel prior to making 158 staff redundant, it was revealed today.
Workers were sent to a training event at the Belfry near Oxford and in return enjoyed a three-course meal with wine.
The 140 delegates were also handed a £100-a-night room each at the event organised by British Gas' new commercial director Richard Marriott.

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Big bash: British Gas spent £25,000 on a training day and party at the Oxford Belfry weeks before more than 150 staff were made redundant

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Having fun: Delegates also enjoyed a night's stay in a £100-a-night room after a three-course meal with wine

But it has emerged that weeks after the event at Thame in Oxfordshire, 158 staff lost their jobs, including in nearby Oxford.

 

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Boss: Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive of Centrica, is on £5million a year while British Gas put up prices by up to nine per cent

On disgruntled worker, who is out of a job, told The Sun: 'It's disgusting — this man throws a boozy knees-up to impress his new staff, then a few weeks later more than 150 people lose their jobs.'
British Gas has been widely panned for its spending while people struggle to pay their heating bills.
A spokesman for the National Pensioners Convention said the latest scandal 'shows how completely divorced they are from the reality'.
Sam Laidlaw, boss of Centrica, which owns the business, earns £5million while it hiked dual fuel prices by an average 9.2 per cent in November.
After confirming the latest job losses in Leicester and Oxford a spokesman said: 'We work hard to improve the service we offer our customers, and this means regular training for our staff, sometimes involving an overnight stay.
'None of the employees who attended this training event is affected by the redundancy programme.
'We’re fully supporting all those employees whose jobs may be at risk, and will consider their suitability for 160 new jobs British Gas is creating in Leicester.'
In December flush British Gas splurged £10,000 on a festive Alton Towers 'jolly' for staff in charge of cutting off customers who cannot afford to pay their bills.

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Training: Last year British Gas sent 80 people from their debt team to Alton Towers (pictured) to learn how to cope with customers irate about the energy giant's 9.2% price hike

Warrant officers - who can break into homes to shut off the power - were sent to the Staffordshire theme park to learn how to cope with irate customers after the energy giant's 9.2 per cent price hike.
In return they were put up in a £60-a-night hotel and enjoyed a three-course meal in a function room decked out in fairy lights and sprinkled with fake snow.