BBC boss Sir Michael Lyons ran up £11,500 in expenses

The former chairman of the BBC Trust ran up expenses totalling more than £11,500 in six months, according to figures released today.

Sir Michael Lyons, who left the job on April 30 when he was replaced by former cabinet minister Lord Patten, spent £1,335.04 on cars despite having "part-time access to a driver and car when working in London on BBC business."

His successor has refused to have a car and driver saving the trust £25,000 a year.

Sir Michael, who lives in Birmingham, also spent more than £5,274.29 on accommodation with the vast majority of it being spent on London hotels.

Another substantial claim was for £3,846 for train tickets with his total claim, from October 2010 to March 2011, coming to £11,566.73.

The hospitality register also revealed he spent £5,767 hosting "stakeholder" lunches at the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat party conferences.

Sir Michael also accepted tickets for himself and his wife to a KT Tunstall concert hosted by Radio 2 and took his son to a performance by the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The trust paid out a total of £39,364.35 to its trustees in expenses over the period - down from £46,554 in the previous six months.

Other substantial claims were made by Alison Hastings, who claimed £6,161.29, and Rotha Johnston, who claimed £4,806.28.

The lowest claim was for £171.03 by Anthony Fry. He also accepted a ticket to the recording of BBC Sports Personality of the Year and took his son, but paid for the second ticket.

The trust also paid out £2,164.22 in expenses to its director Nicholas Kroll.

Almost half of that, £1,050.19, was for lunch or coffee with an "external contact".

Mr Kroll also claimed £482.07 for lunch or coffee with other BBC staff or trustees.