Dutch local councils in places with a professional football club have set aside a combined €240m to fund their clubs over the past 10 years, according to research by current affairs show Nieuwsuur.

The show’s researchers asked all 32 areas with a club in the Eredivisie or Jupiler league about loans, help with buying their stadium and other subsidies.

Economics professor Maarten Allers told the programme that the practice should be stopped because it is not only distorting competition between the clubs but an inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money.

At the moment, councils have €34m in outstanding loans to football clubs. These include the €8.2 loan made by Almelo council to football club Heracules and the €6.5m loan made by The Hague to Ado Den Haag. Utrecht lost €20.5m after the owner the city’s Galgenwaard stadium went bust.

The programme also said Enschede city council is on the verge of guaranteeing a €32m loan to troubled FC Twente.

Other methods of supporting clubs are more creative. For example, Leeuwarden city council gave €680,000 to local club Cambuur on condition Leeuwarden was officially incorporated into its name.

Of the 32 councils with professional clubs within their borders, 12 either own or have a major stake in the stadium.