Department of pot plant watering

Civil servants will have to water their own pot plants under the Government's drive to cut costs.

Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, has cancelled the "plant maintenance" contract after it emerged that it had cost his department nearly £40,000. Other departments are expected to follow suit.

The contract, which was signed by the office of former deputy prime minister John Prescott in 2004, initially cost £5,500 a year before rising to £6,600 and resulted in a total bill of £38,858.

Sources have told that when Mr Pickles took over in May he "hit the roof" after discovering how much money had been spent on refurbishing the headquarters. In addition to plants, thousands had been spent on designer furniture such as "peace pods" and a staff "tranquillity room".