The Home Office has moved a sports day from a weekday to a weekend after details were leaked on a political blog.

The department's winter games were due to take place on Thursday, November 26, but the event has been moved after organisers mistakenly told colleagues that they could apply for paid leave in order to take part.

The Home Office has since clarified that the advice was mistaken and reminded staff that paid leave for such staff events is against civil service rules.

Paul Staines, author of the right-wing Guido Fawkes blog, was forwarded an email which told Home Office staff that "SPECIAL LEAVE with PAY for Home Office staff working inside London and South East – subject to line-management authorisation - can be applied for".

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has been one of a number of people to complain about the organisation of the event while, he said, "the immigration system has been shambolic for years".

UK Border Agency spokesman Tony Smith said the event "was inadvertently arranged outside the strict civil service rules". "Contrary to reports it will now be taking place outside of office hours. Any suggestion that staff could claim paid leave is absolutely wrong and staff have been notified accordingly."

And a spokesman for the Cabinet Office defended the use of annual sports days by departments. The events are seen as an important way to promote health and wellbeing of staff, which is one of the four corporate priorities set by the head of the civil service.

He said: "People are allowed off for a half-day, either morning or afternoon, to take part. The private sector do this the whole time to build team rapport. It’s both team bonding and healthy."