Top MoD civil servant suspended

One of the highest-paid officials at the Ministry of Defence has been suspended on full pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Andrew Manley, the chief of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), hit the headlines last month after official figures revealed he had run up an expenses bill of more than £5,500 at a luxury hotel near the body's Sutton Coldfield headquarters.

The MoD declined to say whether the current inquiry relates to expenses claims made by Mr Manley, who is paid around £200,000 a year.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a senior civil servant has been suspended on full pay. It would be inappropriate to comment further pending the outcome of an investigation."

It was reported last month that Mr Manley spent a total of £5,542 on expenses staying at the £155-a-night New Hall Hotel and Spa, less than two miles from the DIO's HQ in the West Midlands. The MoD said at the time that he stayed at the hotel while visiting the DIO's HQ from his London office.

An interim appointment is to be made to Mr Manley's post to ensure that the DIO's work can continue unaffected during his suspension.