Police terror bill shock (From Bucks Free Press)

Police terror bill shock

9:55am Friday 17th November 2006 in News By Paul Leat

BUCKS taxpayers could be facing a rise in council tax and a cut in police resources after officials warned the Government may leave them to pick up a £7million bill for anti-terror searches in the town.

The ongoing woods searches, which on Monday, police announced would be moving away from King's Wood in Totteridge to Booker Common, have already cost £5.2million. With the operation expected to continue for several more weeks the amount will increase further.

Now there are fears frontline officers could be laid off to save money.

Thames Valley Police Authority has warned that even with a three per cent increase in the police portion of the council tax, 75 frontline police officer jobs would be lost.

It said that the Home Office may not help it with the huge cost, and predicted cuts to services or tax-hikes to meet the financial demand.

Lord Bradshaw, of the Police Authority, told a meeting at the Thames Valley Police headquarters in Kidlington last Friday, that policing in Bucks could be affected.

"If the work continues for another four to six weeks, the total bill could be £7m.”

Lord Bradshaw, Police Authority

He said: "If the money is not forthcoming, the likelihood is that the number of uniformed police officers available to tackle the less urgent tasks would be reduced.

"They are bound to come from the basic command units in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. If the work continues for another four to six weeks, the total bill could be £7m."

Thames Valley's Acting Chief Constable Sara Thornton has already outlined £6.74m of budget cuts for the next financial year, which will include civilianising 36 police posts, cutting 74 support staff and 12 police officer jobs.

Martin Elliott, chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said the police authority had an £8million short fall in this year's budget and could face a bigger deficit next year even before Operation Overt, the anti-terror operation, is taken into account. Mr Elliott admitted the funding issue was a concern to police staff.

He said: "It is hoped that the Home Office will step in and say terror is a national problem and pay the bulk but there are no guarantees."

Mr Elliott has called for an increase of at least five per cent in the police aspect of the council tax bill to maintain the quality of police services.

He said: "I'm sure that adds up to another £50 or so on council tax but at the end of the day we have all got to make up our minds what sort of public services we want.

"If we don't get the money we want we may have to make people redundant and we will lose a lot of valuable experience."

The woodland searches, known as Operation Overt, began in August after Metropolitan Police uncovered an alleged plot to blow up transatlantic flights.

Police are now searching Booker Common. Horns Lane will be closed until Wednesday, and a temporary speed restriction is in place along Lane End Road.

Bob Owen, 79, from Conway Close and his wife Eileen, criticised police last month for over-stretching themselves after his young grand-daughter was made to wait at a police station for help after a theft.

He said: "This is a national thing and I think it should be paid by the Government. I don't think local councils should be made to pay."

David Lidington, Aylesbury MP, raised fears that the bill could even be pushed wholly on Bucks residents.

He said: "If this cost comes to Thames Valley it could begin to put a serious pressure on local services."

Katie Martin, a Home Office spokesman, said: "We have received a request from Thames Valley Police and that is being considered."

She could not say when an answer would be given to Thames Valley.