Enfield Council spent a fraction of the amount its neighbours did as the the Olympic torch wound its way through the borough.

Figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request show Enfield Borough Council spent only £4,768.47 on the relay on July 25 - less than one eighth of the £40,000 average for local authorities across the country.

The figures compare to Haringey Borough Council, which spent £106,965.62 on hosting the Olympic flame on July 25 last year, and Barnet, which spent £123,000.

Similar in the low-spending stakes was Harrow Borough Council, which spent £5,561.34.

Despite attracting 90,000 people, Enfield Council managed to keep costs for the procession minimal.

Cabinet member for culture, leisure, youth and localism Councillor Bambos Charalambous said:

"The vast majority of the modest sum spent was used to ensure the safety of people lining the route and to ensure volunteers could get to their station on the route and help manage the huge crowds which attended this event.

"This investment meant residents could concentrate on celebrating the passage of the torch through our borough, the numerous good things about Enfield and the arrival of the 2012 Olympic Games in London."

A Haringey council spokesman explained its high spend compared to the national average by stating Haringey Council had responsibility for co-ordinating the entire day of the Olympic Torch Relay on July 25, not just the time that the torch passed through the borough, including project and crowd management.

The spokesman added: "The Torch Relay was a tremendous once-in-a-lifetime occasion for the borough that attracted unprecedented crowds of 180,000 and was a wonderful opportunity to highlight all of the positive things happening in the borough.”

Of the £123,000 spent by Barnet Council, £44,000 was used on staff costs, £1,800 on first aid provided by St John Ambulance, £4,200 on road cleaning before and after the relay, £66,500 on repairing roads and organising crowd control and £6,600 on communications and signs.

Cabinet member for safety and resident engagement Councillor David Longstaff defended the figures, saying the event had been a logistical challenge for the borough.

“The 2012 London Olympics was not only special for the City, it was special for the whole country. The torch relay day was both a truly special day for Barnet and a real logistical and safety challenge.

“While host and co-ordinating boroughs received financial aid for their relay event; Barnet did not, despite being one of the biggest boroughs in London.

“We suspect that we’re being a lot more accurate than other councils.”

More than 90,000 people turned out to watch the torch relay passing through Harrow on July 25.

Harrow Council's divisional director for community and culture Marianne Locke said the council had managed to keep costs low by gaining funding from organisations like the Arts Council and making every penny count. 

She said: “This money covered all Olympic and Paralympic activity in the borough. It went a really long way, especially when compared to some other councils who spent in excess of £100,000.

"The council organised entertainment such as sport and dance shows, which was mostly provided for free by local organisations. The money was also spent on planning the event and organising things like road closures, health and safety cover and diverting traffic."