Free coffee was grounds for a stampede at council HQ

Perth and Kinross Council staff are reported to have enjoyed £500 of free coffee when their vending machine went on the blink.

It is believed the staff got through enough cuppas to last three days in just one hour when the machine went on the blink and dished out drinks on the house.

The free-for-all at the council’s Pullar House HQ is thought to have used up nine litres of milk, several bags of coffee and all the hot chocolate and teabags.

It only ended when bosses spotted the glitch and alerted the owners of the Starbucks machine.

Around 250 drinks priced at £2 each were said to have been dispensed by the Selecta Vending machine.

A council spokeswomen said: “For a short time the machine rejected coins before it was repaired.”