Suffolk County Council has clarified reports that it spent more than �1,400 on a set of photographs of its chief executive Andrea Hill.

It initially suggested that the entire bill was spent on 40 pictures of Mrs Hill, but last night a council spokesman said that details included in a response to a Freedom of Information request had been 'misleading' and that the commission had also included pictures of 14 councillors and of a seminar.

The spokesman said: 'It is true to say that the figure of �1,474.74p for photography supplied in a recent FoI request was assigned to the name of the chief executive.

'Unfortunately and on reflection, that was misleading. The actual invoice supplied by the photographer shows that �1,474.74p was the total figure charged for two separate pieces of work on June 25 and July 3.

'The work also included portraits of 14 councillors, the election of the chair and vice chair of the council and coverage of a community seminar.

'It is entirely wrong to suggest that �1,474.74 was spent solely on photographs of Andrea Hill.'

The spokesman's comments come after the council claimed it had made 'every effort' to provide 'as much information as possible'.

Previously it had been reported that it took four Freedom of Information requests before the full details of the payments for the pictures emerged. Initially the authority had denied any money had been paid for them.