Tottenham deny claims they hit Haringey council with £30,000 bill after using stadium car park as food bank during Covid crisis

Tottenham Hotspur have defended themselves against a claim that the club charged Haringey council over £30,000 to use their underground car park as a food bank during the coronavirus crisis.

A report in Private Eye stated that Spurs passed on a bill of £33,280 to the council for additional security and cleaning during three months of lockdown.

The costs were revealed via a resident’s freedom of information request, with the council responding: “These costs were £1,680 per week for additional security and £880 per week for additional cleaning.”

But Telegraph Sport understands that the council requested and offered to pay for the extra services from Tottenham and that it was not a bill that was simply passed on.

According to Spurs, Haringey wanted to hire additional security and cleaning, and decided to use the companies contracted to the club for speed and ease of use.

Responding to the Private Eye report, a Tottenham spokesperson said: “The club established the food distribution hub at our stadium in April in collaboration with Haringey council to serve some of the most vulnerable people within our community and every single cost to deliver this operation has been absorbed by Haringey council and the club.

“Any costs paid by Haringey were those paid to third-party suppliers and no costs whatsoever have been passed to any charitable organisation involved in this project.

“The third-party costs were requested by Haringey as additional services. The club did not pass on any costs which it itself incurred and covered several other costs too.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham season ticket renewals for next season have apparently gone well with over 90 per cent of fans understood to be taking up the club’s offer of making a 20 per cent payment to secure their seat even though it remains unclear when supporters will be allowed back into stadiums.