o Three hotel groups have been named as supplying freebies to the UK’s serial acceptor of glad-handing, Westminster Council’s deputy leader Robert Davis, who trousered 514 gifts, meals, tickets for events and overseas trips in a three year period.

Hilton gave him a Christmas present of six bottles of wine, Edwardian hotels gifted him Wimbledon centre court tickets and he enjoyed a Spa trip to Mallorca from Hyatt Hotels.

 

o Travelodge have apologised for branding a 46 year old father a paedophile when he booked a double room for himself and his 14 year old daughter at the Travelodge, Macclesfield.

Karl Pollard booked the room with his daughter Stephanie after being told by the hotel that it was the only one they had left. He needed it to visit his mother who had just been diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer, and the pair had travelled four hours from south Wales for the purpose. After they had checked in a policewoman knocked at the door to advise him that, following a tip-off from Travelodge hotel staff he was being investigated on suspicion of grooming an underage girl.

On the basis that the underage girl was his daughter Travelodge apologised “for getting it wrong” and refunded his room charge. However Cheshire police commented that they had “done the right thing” by reporting what they believed to be suspicious activity, that “thankfully turned out to be a misunderstanding”.

 

o Blenheim Palace have apologised after organising a Chinese New Year party that was described as “shambolic”, “a farce” and “embarrassingly awful” by some of the guests.

Reportedly the £25 a head bash suffered long queues at the single food truck. The palace said it was the first time they had run the event and that they had been let down by several food vendors.