LIVERPOOL council’s controversial IT partnership is seeing the authority pay almost £1,100 for laptops which BT is selling online to the general public for just £632.

Today, the Daily Post can also reveal the overall cost of the Liverpool Direct deal with telecoms giant BT cost £77.8m in the last financial year – up 40%, from £55.6m, two years earlier.

The city council is currently conducting an inquiry into the contract after a damning external report stated the basis of billing for the Liverpool Direct deal was “opaque” and “lacked transparency” – it raised doubts about whether the council was getting value for money.

In November last year, the council turned down £2m in additional sponsorship for Capital of Culture to avoid being further constrained by the controversial joint venture.

Last night, the council said it was continuing its value for money review but insisted the cost of computers was checked against the high street every three months.

Yet a leaked Liverpool Direct catalogue reveals the council is charged £1,463 for a Toshiba Tecra laptop, a price which includes annual support.

A straight replacement of the same model from the catalogue is £1,090, while BT’s online store, which is open to the public, charges only £632.

A council spokesman said: “The cost of a computer is not just for the basic machine, but includes a bundle of the latest programmes, high-specification anti-virus software, access to broadband at home and the cost of funding and maintaining the council's wide-ranging IT network.

“The prices are checked against the equivalent package on the high street every three months.”

The latest set of accounts for Liverpool Direct recognised revenue of £77.8m from the city council.