Manchester United, the British Grand Prix, international rugby... these are just a few of the events attended by a quango boss last year.

The South East England Development Agency's (Seeda) chairman James Brathwaite was given free lunches and sports tickets worth £2,275 between April 2008 and March 2009.

Newly released information shows he was the main recipient of freebies at the agency, where other colleagues also received meals, tickets and gifts worth a combined £6,931.

Mr Brathwaite was handed tickets for sports events including Brighton and Hove Albion and Milton Keynes Dons football matches, Lawn Tennis Association tennis tournaments, boxing, horseracing at Goodwood, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Six Nations rugby clash between England and France and a Wales rugby match against South Africa.

He even had a £110 seat to watch his favourite team, Manchester United play Southampton, courtesy of legal firm Paris, Smith and Randell.

There is no suggestion of impropriety in accepting hospitality, which Seeda said helped to enhance business relationships, but the agency has been urged to take care in what it receives.

Mr Brathwaite, who is paid £81,000 a year, has been criticised in the past for running up taxi bills of more than £50,000 a year, funded by tax-payers.

Lewes MP Norman Baker, who campaigned for MPs expenses to be made public, said: "Those in public life have a duty to be very careful both in how they spend money and in whom they receive hospitality from.

"Companies will not give free tickets or gifts out of love. It is done because they have a purpose and need to engender a relationship to support that.

"It's particularly important for care to be taken by people like those at Seeda who are appointed and not accountable to the electorate."

While the bulk of Mr Brathwaite's gifts were sports related, Seeda's chief executive Pam Alexander received most of her £1,581 gifts as dinners, including two with Lord Heseltine.

Oona Muirhead, the agency's executive director for sustainable prosperity, was given a pair of tickets to the Isle of Wight festival among £580 of gifts.

The remaining hospitality was received by executive directors Lee Amor, Paul Lovejoy, Jeff Alexander and other unnamed staff.

Paul Lovejoy, communications director for Government-funded Seeda, which is responsible for driving economic prosperity in the region, said: "Seeda publishes guidance on accepting hospitality for staff and board members. All hospitality accepted is within the guidelines and is listed in a register published on our website."

He said all hospitality was received from firms the agency had worked with and none could compromise strictly regulated contract procurement processes.

Mr Brathwaite is due to retire from his position in December when he will be replaced by Rob Douglas.