Airport deal shows cavalier attitude to public money, Davies says

Ministers have been accused of wasting tens of millions of pounds buying Cardiff Airport for around double an initial valuation of £20m-£30m.

Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies accused Labour of a "stunning failure to safeguard taxpayers' money" in paying £52m for the airport in 2013.

The estimate by accountants KPMG appears in a report by the Wales Audit Office.

The Welsh government said BBC reports based on those figures were "entirely selective and misleading".

Ministers bought the airport from its Spanish owners Abertis after another higher valuation took into account other potential benefits of public ownership.

The deal followed years of concern about the airport's performance and long-term viability.

Mr Davies said Labour ministers had paid "over the odds" for the site, and had the wrong approach when handling public money.