Budapest/Bucharest blunder leads to new rules for Jersey States travel booking

Constable Pallett said he did not realise he was about 500 miles (804km) short of his destination until just before landing

Jersey's government is tightening its system for booking travel after a politician flew to the wrong country.

Constable Steve Pallet travelled to Budapest in Hungary instead of Bucharest in Romania at a cost of at least £1,000 to the tax payer.

He had been due to represent Jersey at the Dance World Cup in Romania, which the island is to host next year.

It has emerged the person who booked the flights did not see a copy of the invitation to the event.

A BBC request under Freedom of Information laws revealed the correct destination was stated on a written invitation and other paperwork, but was not seen by the member of staff at the Education, Sport and Culture department who arranged the travel.

From now on a written instruction and a copy of such invitations will need to be seen by the individual making a booking before it can go ahead.

Details of those documents will be held with a travel authorisation form completed for each journey, a department spokesperson said.

Constable Pallett apologised at the time for what he called a "schoolboy error" and for wasting tax payers' money.

He was supposed to make a speech and accept the flag on behalf of nearly 3,000 competitors from 32 countries, including England, Northern Ireland and Wales.