The central works council at the national police force has resigned en masse following criticism of the way the body spends its budget.

Last year, the council, which represents all 65,000 police officers in negotiations with management, had €1.6m at its disposal.

However, a large part of that was spent on dinners, parties, champagne breakfasts and image coaches, leading police chief Erik Akerboom to say last week the council’s spending was ‘untargetted and increasingly disproportional’.

In a statement, the council said that it supported Akerboom’s conclusions and that ‘what has happened has damaged the credibility of the council’.

The council’s former chairman Frank Giltay was responsible for much of the overspending and is facing charges. He had the support of former police chief Gerard Bouman, and last week justice minister Ard van der Steur announced he too would be investigated.