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ODD: Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd

THE HOME Office department spent thousands visiting the Crystal Maze – an immersive team challenge gaming experience based on the popular 90s TV show, in a bid to get away from “the distractions of the office”.

MailOnline uncovered the department had booked 48 tickets last year, taking a total of £2,639.52 of taxpayers’ money for their trip in May this year.

James Roberts, political director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told MailOnline it was a "truly puzzling waste of taxpayers' cash,'' adding: "Splashing public money on a costly day out at the Crystal Maze, when surely a simple team lunch could have sufficed, shows some bureaucrats have truly lost their way when it comes to cutting down on wasteful spending.

At the time of the booking, the department was facing nationwide criticism over allegations of wrongly deporting Windrush generation migrants.

It seems while the department told the public they expressed their deepest sympathies towards the Windrush migrants wrongly interrogated over their citizenship, planning their next staff trip took precedence over ensuring justice was seen.

The FOI response, obtained by PA, said: "This was a team-building event for a team which had undergone significant recent restructuring and recruitment.

"The Crystal Maze event afforded an opportunity to rebuild team cohesion in an environment away from distractions of the office."

The Home Office would not comment on whether more money was spent on travel and food for staff during the trip but a spokesman for the department said:
"There is a small budget for team building and professional development and care is always taken to minimise costs, spending taxpayers' money carefully."