UNIVERSITY staff used taxpayer-funded credit cards in strip clubs and sex shops in a £204million spree.

Professors and other employees also enjoyed jaunts to Las Vegas and Premier League tickets over two years.

Our Freedom of Information probe comes after lecturers staged a strike over pay, and some students face £38,000-a-year tuition fees.

The 54 institutions which replied — around half the total — got £1.2billion of public cash in 2017/18.

Northumbria spent £2,184 as corporate guests at lap-dance club Spearmint Rhino.

Nottingham had the highest spending on its credit cards, at £19.8million, including £142 on a sex toy site.

Liverpool got through £18million. Its staff ate £22,000 of Domino’s Pizza and spent £3,018 at Cheltenham and York races.

Durham splashed out £17million, including a trip to Vegas with a £2,614 bill from Caesar’s Palace casino.

City University staff spent £23,790 in just two pubs.

An employee at Queen Mary, London, even used its card to pay a litter fine.

Universities spent £11,000 at Man Utd, with Loughborough paying £1,260 for tours.

A transaction by Sheffield Hallam for “dating and escort services” was registered under the wrong chip-and-pin category by the merchant, a spokesman said.

Tory Andrew Bridgen blasted: “Universities are now big businesses and appear to have picked up some bad habits.

"They should have to publish these spending records annually.”

TaxPayers’ Alliance boss John O’Connell blasted the spend on top of “enormous” vice-chancellor pay.

He added: “Students will be appalled at how little universities seem to care about their money.”

Northumbria said of the club visit: “The payment was reimbursed promptly and in full, the basis on which the transaction was authorised.”

Nottingham said: “We use cards in our global operation which delivers £1billion to the economy each year.”

Oxford spent £11million but said it would take too long for a breakdown from 522 cards.

Cambridge has £4.9billion cash reserves but said it would cost too much to give its spend.

Bristol said its answers could distress staff.