CHARITY bosses were criticised last night for allowing a former director to spend £18,000 on hotels, first-class travel and other luxuries.

Andrea Cook, who headed the National Energy Action (NEA) group, based in Newcastle, also received nearly £200,000 over five years for her work as chairman of a separate company with links to the charity.

The Charity Commission has concluded a three-year inquiry, which found Miss Cook was paid the money by the Energy Action Grants Agency (EAGA) - established by NEA to implement a Government scheme.

Miss Cook, a tutor at Durham University for seven years who was awarded the OBE in 1991, said the work was done in her own time.

She was allowed to certify her own expenses claims. Despite concerns being raised by staff in early 1998, NEA trustees took no action until late 1999.

NEA was set up to develop initiatives to combat fuel poverty and promote energy efficiency.

Miss Cook has now been dismissed from the charity, which is trying to recover £18,000 of private benefits and over-expenditure on travel from her. She disputes £14,000 of the sum.

The inquiry found Miss Cook's monthly taxi bills regularly exceeded £300, and there were major hotel costs for mini-bars, laundry and other services.

Although she repaid what she felt was any personal element, there was no independent audit check.

From 1994 to 1999, she received payments and benefits from EAGA totalling more than £200,000, and said she had NEA's approval, although the inquiry found no evidence of this.

As director of NEA, she also received a 30 per cent pay rise in 1995, considerably higher than other staff.

The inquiry's report said: "There is nothing in the various papers produced by Miss Cook, the charity or others to indicate how the remuneration committee arrived at any decision regarding her salary or, indeed, if they did so at all."

The commission's operations director, Simon Gillespie, said: "This case highlights yet again what can happen when trustees delegate too much responsibility to one member of staff."

NEA chief executive William Gillis said: "NEA, with the assistance of the Charity Commission, has introduced changes to its governance and financial and administrative procedures to address the weaknesses identified."