FREE Tube passes for Transport for London employees’ family and friends are costing over £33 million a year, an assembly member has claimed.

Anyone currently employed by Transport for London (TfL) gets free Tube and bus travel across the network.

They can also nominate one person living at their address to be eligible for the same travel cost exemptions.

But London Assembly member for Havering and Redbridge Cllr Keith Prince claims the free passes are costing £33.3 million a year.

He said: “It seems ludicrous that the taxpayer has to foot a bill of over £33million a year just so TfL staff can hand out free travelcards to their mates.

“It would be hard enough to justify this perk under normal circumstances, but at a time when the Mayor is seeking to save more than £640million from within TfL because of his disastrous fares freeze it really takes the biscuit.

“The Mayor needs to scrap this ridiculous and unnecessary perk immediately.”

Cllr Prince, who is also the GLA’s Conservative transport spokesman, wants to use some of the revenue from getting rid of TfL nominee passes to fund free travel for firefighters, to bring them in line with Metropolitan Police officer benefits.

But The Mayor of London's office have slammed the claims as "irresponsible and misleading".

A spokesman said: “These figures simply aren’t correct.

“Keith Prince should act more responsibly, rather than making misleading promises to Londoners that aren’t deliverable.”

They added that withdrawing TfL friends and family passes would only earn an extra £5 million, not £33.3 million.

TfL has been contacted for comment.