Scotland Yard racks up £8m bill for flights

SCOTLAND Yard has spent almost £5million on premium flights while making huge cuts to frontline services.

Officers racked up a £4,838,689 bill for non-economy seats, including £407,952 on 114 first-class tickets.

The total for the past three years comes to more than half the entire £8,577,748 spent on flights for officers and staff.

The latest figures were obtained by the TaxPayers’ Alliance under freedom of information laws.

Policy analyst Duncan Simpson said: ‘It is completely unacceptable that we are taxed to pay for luxury flights that few of us could ever enjoy ourselves. Members of the police will, in the course of their duties, have to take flights occasionally, but it is difficult to understand why they should be travelling so expensively.’

The Metropolitan Police Service did not give a breakdown of the costs but among its responsibilities is guarding senior politicians, diplomats and the Royal Family.

A spokesman said: ‘In all instances, the most economical fare is purchased that meets the needs of the traveller and the reason for the visit.

‘The work of the Met officers and staff can require them to travel abroad for investigative and operational reasons.’

Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick, who is battling a surge in violent crime, has seen more than £600million taken from her budget.