More than £650,000 was spent on electronic devices by Redbridge Council in the last three years, it has been revealed.

Details released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) shows the money was spent on a variety of goods, including laptops, smart phones and tablets for staff and councillors.

The largest proportion - £353,800 - was spent on ‘thin client devices’, which enable people to access a computer network and are seen as a cheaper option to normal PCs.

The council spent £116, 900 on laptops, £134, 500 on PCs, £37, 700 on smart phones and £16, 300 on iPads.

The Guardian also revealed this week that the London Borough of Waltham Forest spent more than £1.5million on similar technology during the same period.

Jonathan Isaby, Political Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Compared to their neighbours in Waltham Forest, Redbridge Council has done a far better job at keeping down spending on IT equipment, although civic leaders there cannot afford to be complacent.

Explaining the expenditure, the FOI disclosure said: “Allocations of mobile phones are dependent on meeting specific business requirements and are earmarked for front line staff or those with an urgent mobile need.

“Examples of these are field social workers, staff visiting housing tenants to assess needs.

“Each requirement is subject to a rigorous approval process, which aims to measure the benefit and value for money which will be gained from the use of a tablet/smart phone device.”