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One out of order, all out of order

This week's unseemly brawl by Aslef officials continued a rich tradition of union leaders' excess. David Felton celebrates the labour movement's answer to the hotel-trashing rock star

NO EXPENSES SPARED

Roger 'The Dodger' Lyons, former joint general secretary of Amicus

Roger Lyons, who until this week was joint general secretary of the white-collar union Amicus, is known for his assiduous expense claims, which were first revealed in an internal investigation two years ago. The investigation cleared Lyons of any wrongdoing, but he was none the less forced to step down as joint general secretary after the Government Certification Officer for Trade Unions ruled that he was in the job unlawfully because he had not been re-elected.

Meanwhile, his detractors remain fascinated by those expenses, which included £6,366.70 claimed for hotels and meals over nine months, and £2,757.90 claimed for "sustenance". The latter category included claims - ranging from from £4 to £19.65 - relating to meetings with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (who usually supply coffee and biscuits), as well as £877 spent in takeaway restaurants and off-licences near his home in Finchley, north London - and, most famously, for 25p for a bun, bought on a credit card at Patisserie Valerie in Soho, central London.

Lyons also submitted bills for office equipment - a total of £1,869.10 - covering everything from the purchase of batteries to internet services, radios (one for his bathroom), video recorders and a briefcase from Selfridges.