Police Chief's expenses add up to £83,000 in 3 years

Police Chief's expenses add up to £83,000 in 3 years

The police chief tipped as the next Scotland Yard Commissioner is facing scrutiny after running up expenses of more than £83,000 over the past three years.

Sir Hugh Orde, the £130,000-a-year head of the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI), has spent the cash on flights and hotels in the UK and the US since 2004.

Information released under the Freedom of Information Act by the PSNI has revealed that Sir Hugh spent £33,246 in 2004, £26,139 in 2005 and £24,498 in 2006.

Despite a series of detailed requests, his force refused to give anything more than a list of Sir Hugh's destinations and the policing organisations with which he was involved that required him to travel out of the province.

His office claimed that it could not provide a breakdown of the expenses because it would cost too much to produce receipts or check Sir Hugh's diary. It also said the trips were not detailed on expenses claim forms because his office paid the costs of all his travel and accommodation in advance. Northern Ireland Assembly member Jimmy Spratt, a former RUC officer, said yesterday that he wanted to know why Sir Hugh's expenses were much higher than those of other Chief Constables.

Police high-flyer probed over £83,000 expenses bill (Evening Standard, thisislondon.co.uk, 2 December 2007)