WHEN the Government’s Rural Payments Agency advertises for staff it commends the generous leave, flexible working hours and modern offices.

What it fails to mention are the naked furniture diving, sex in the lavatories and vomiting in coffee cups then leaving them to fester in filing cabinets.

Civil servants at the agency’s office in Newcastle upon Tyne have been officially disciplined, and at least one dismissed, after one of their colleagues blew the whistle on their antics.

“I am appalled at the level of depravity that is being tolerated in my workplace,” the whistleblower wrote in a letter to his managers.

He told them that the “sick, shocking and obscene behaviour” had been caught on closed-circuit television. “Activities have been captured on official cameras. Specifically these activities refer to leaping from cabinet to cabinet in underwear and — believe it or not but the evidence exists — naked.

“There is a horrific new craze of vomiting into official cups and leaving the cups to fester in cupboards until discovered through the horrendous smell.” The smell became so overpowering on occasions that offices had to be evacuated.

“There is a list of shocking and awful acts in work time; sex in the toilets, drug-taking and swearing are rife,” he said.

There were also break-dancing contests and brawling in the reception area.

The agency responded with a memo to staff referring to “specific behavioural problems”. “Although the staff obviously feels it’s a great laugh . . . this represents misconduct,” it said.

The agency confirmed yesterday that there had been a breakdown of standards and that allegations of serious misconduct were being investigated.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Infertile couples to be made an NHS priority
• Sharp fall in number of GCSE entries
• Britain has more pensioners than children