The BBC last year spent £10,000 a month on iPhones for its staff and £40,000 on 104 iPads, despite the device not being approved for general use by staff.

The public service broadcaster told The Sun newspaper that the iPads and iPhones were bought for "testing purposes... to see how they can help us".

A Freedom of Information request by The Sun revealed the corporation’s licence fee funded indulgences, but the broadcaster would not reveal the full extent of its spending as the expense is contained within a ten-year contract with Siemens.

TaxPayers' Alliance campaign manager Charlotte Linacre urged the BBC to consider cheaper gadgets and to make sure "taxpayers aren't picking up the tab for over-indulgence".