BBC bosses' multi-million pound gravy train revealed

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They show the corporations's 50 highest earning executives take home up to £13.8 million in taxpayers' money between them.

The new figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal a series of extraordinary expenses claims filed by its ten board members in a dossier that runs to hundreds of pages.

They range from petty claims for items such as wrapping paper and a £100 bouquet of flowers for Jonathan Ross to tens of thousands of pounds spent on air travel and stays in some of the world's most luxurious hotels.

BBC directors also routinely claim for thousands on leaving dos and taking each other out for lunch and dinner.

The salaries of the executive board members of the publicly-funded corporation range between £310,000 and £650,000 excluding bonuses.

The top 50 earners involved in running the corporation are all paid a minimum of £160,000, with most on more than £200,000 according to the extraordinary figures published today. They do not include details of salaries of its star presenters which are being withheld.

Mark Thompson, the Director General of the BBC, earns the most with £647,000 a year as a basic salary plus bonuses.

His second in command, Mark Byford is paid £459,000 in licence fee-payers' money.

The expenses claims cover the ten people on the board over a five year period from April 2004 to April 2009.

The claims include a £99 bottle of champagne for Sir Bruce Forsyth, two iPods for the then director of new media Ashley Highfield and a string of taxi bills.

Jana Bennett, the £406,000-a-year director of BBC Vision claimed £500 after her handbag was stolen "while on official business".

Directors travelled to some of the world's leading hotels and made dozens of foreign trips.

Ms Bennett bought Pimms and Harrods teddy bears to take as "gifts" when travelling. One claimed more than £600 for cancelling unrefundable air tickets.

A series of expensive Christmas parties, leaving celebrations, "catch-ups" and "thank-yous" are listed. No receipts to detail where the entertaining took place has been disclosed.

Click here to see the BBC's 2008-2009 expenses (pdf)
Click here to see the BBC's 2007-2008 expenses (pdf)
Click here to see the BBC's 2006-2007 expenses (pdf)
Click here to see the BBC's 2005-2006 expenses (pdf)
Click here to see the BBC's 2004-2005 expenses (pdf)