Body lotion, a baby outfit and a Siberian medal were among the gifts showered on Kingston Council officers.

The register of interests for the past three years, which some councils publish routinely, was obtained by the Surrey Comet under Freedom of Information laws.

Some of the entries did not record where the gifts came from but most show a mixture of corporate largesse and small presents from grateful residents.

Many of the presents, including a trip to an Arsenal match, were turned down or handed on to the mayor of Kingston's nominated charities.

Officers are advised to be careful when receiving gifts, particularly from contractors, and are forbidden from accepting money.

Housing officers received 12 boxes of chocolates, biscuits, flowers, white wine, champagne, pens, diaries and a bar of soap.

Community service officers were given a medal from Siberia, a beer mug from Ossetia and a plate from Moscow by a delegation of Russian social services.

Social workers were given body lotion and a copy of Frank Muir’s biography "A Kentish Lad", while a clinical pyschologist was given a baby outfit.

One highways officer accepted an invitation from Highways/Morrisons to attend a golf day, dinner and drinks.

Finance officers including head of finance Tracie Evans were wined and dined by companies Zurich, Price Waterhouse Coopers, JP Morgan, UBS and Schroders.

But one officer turned down the chance to watch an Arsenal match at the Emirates stadium; another rejected an invitation to watch an Eagles concert; and Mrs Evans turned down a chance to watch cricket at the Oval.

Director of environmental services, Frank Quigg, declined the chance to visit the Rose Theatre for free to listen to theatre impresartio Sir Peter Hall talk about his life.

Chief executive Bruce McDonald was given a Korean pictorial diary calendar.

Jalal Sobbohi, the former traffic and transportation manager who left the council last year, accepted a "plastic daily pill box" as a gift from a resident.

The head of resources, performance and strategy learning and children’s services team declined an invitation to a corporate hospitality day at Ascot, and event Sharon Shoesmith, Haringey Council’s disgraced head of children’s services attended.