THE Mayor of Barnet's acceptance of free meals and a luxury hamper from a company later awarded a £12 million contract by an authority he chairs “doesn't look good”, the Fire Brigade Union says.

Councillor Brian Coleman, also London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden, has been treated to four free meals and a £350 Harvey Nichols hamper by John Shannon, CEO of AssetCo, over the last two years.

The company has now been awarded a five-year contract to provide reserve fire crews in London by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), which Mr Coleman chairs.

Paul Embrey, a London official for the Fire Brigade Union, said: “There does seem to be a somewhat incestuous relationship between AssetCo and Mr Coleman.

“When you have a situation where a company is lavishing hospitality on him with dinner dates and a £350 Harvey Nichols hamper you have to ask certain questions.

“We're reluctant to start making accusations until we've asked those questions, but at the moment it doesn't look good.”

Both Mr Coleman and AssetCo have declined to comment on the hamper, the meals and what was discussed at the meetings.

The register of hospitality and gifts received by members of the LFEPA is not publicly available but was obtained by Adam Bienkov, author of the Tory Troll blog, under the Freedom of Information Act.

The register shows that since September 2007 Mr Coleman received 18 free meals that related to his work as chair of the authority.