Kent County Council spent £234,000 on iPhones for staff last year.

More than 800 new handsets were bought with taxpayers' money at an average cost of £276 each.

On top of that, the council paid almost £8,000 on repairs to their supply of iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7 and SE models.

Social workers use their devices to keep in touch with the children in their care through an innovative app, Mind Of My Own (MOMO).

Through the communication tool, children can provide feedback on their care plan and their placement privately.

A child can also use the app to tell the specialist children's services if they feel unsafe or unhappy.

Staff also use these phones to check emails while they are working out of the office.

Chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, John O'Connell, said: "Moving away from paper and embracing new technology can create savings in the long term, but the question is why so much money has been splashed out on iPhones when there are so many other cheaper options on the market.

"Taxpayers' money is all too often taken for granted by public sector bureaucrats."