Gary Verity expenses scandal fallout costs Welcome to Yorkshire almost £500,000

Details have been published by the privately-run company, which receives millions of pounds in funding from the public sector, at the direction of its new chairman, Wakefield Council leader Peter Box.

Coun Box criticised the previous regime, saying the agency could no longer be run on a ‘cult of personality’ and revealing the organisation has come close to financial collapse in recent months.

Peter Box to quit as Wakefield Council leader after taking charge at Welcome to Yorkshire

It has been revealed that £482,500 has been spent in connection to the costs of two independent inquiries ordered in the wake of Sir Gary's resignation in March on health grounds following bullying and expenses allegations, with the figure also taking account of “termination” expenses.

Newly-published figures said £151,000 had been spent on “payments in lieu of notice, including National Insurance and pension”. Welcome to Yorkshire said it was unable to confirm whether that money related to Sir Gary.

The Yorkshire Post has contacted a representative of Sir Gary for comment.

The figures also showed that the two independent investigations ordered in the wake of Sir Gary’s departure had cost the organisation £168,000, while £42,000 had been spent on legal costs, as well £49,000 to date on the ongoing efforts to recruit a new chief executive.

More than £70,000 has been spent on other related areas such as communications, accounting advice and consulting on a new tourism strategy.

The inquiries reported in July that Sir Gary’s behaviour towards staff had “fallen short” of expected standards, while it was found he had claimed around £26,000 in “personal” expenses “not incurred wholly for the benefit of Welcome to Yorkshire”.

Investigators were unable to determine whether a further £900,000 of expense claims by Sir Gary and other senior officials had been “reasonable” because of a lack of clear spending policies at the organisation.