Calls have been made for senior managers at City Hall to publish online all their expenses claims.

The request came after national reports that town hall bosses have run up credit card and expenses bills of �2.6m since 2008, spending money on luxury items including away-days at exclusive golf resorts, spa breaks and first class flights around the world.

Liberal Democrat group leader Judith Lubbock, who put forward the proposal at a Norwich City Council meeting, said: 'There is a perception that senior managers of local councils are putting in lavish claims for food at Michelin star restaurants, first class travel, and stays at five-star hotels. Whether there is any truth in these ideas here in Norwich is unclear.

'To make it clear I have suggested that all expenses claimed by senior managers should be in the public domain. 'Then the public can judge whether these expenses are justified. After all this is council taxpayers' money and they deserve to know how every penny of it is spent.'

But Alan Waters, deputy leader of Norwich City Council said details of senior managers' payments were already online and in the annual statement of accounts.

He said all financial transactions of �500 or more was published each month. He added: 'Given the considerable pressures on the council's finances and on the council's finance staff, we do not propose at this time to divert resources from more productive work to elaborate on the considerable quantity of information already published.'