Around £883 million of National Lottery money – supposed to go to the most needy charities as well as arts, sports and heritage projects – is being given to councils to pay for everything but.

According to the Daily Mail the Big Lottery Fund has paid out £10,000 to needy Gosport Borough Council in Hants for a shredder, £250,000 to needy Stockport Council to “help staff manage their moods”, £315,000 to needy Blyth Valley Council in Northumberland to improve their footpaths and £295,000 to needy Ealing Council in West London to “provide services” for traveller communities.

Apparently the grants, adding up to a total of £883 million of “misdirected money” were revealed by the Conservatives through Parliamentary answers and Freedom of Information requests.