Police cop a lot of flak for foreign junkets

England’s cash-strapped police forces have come under fire for splashing out taxpayers’ money on a string of foreign trips.

Senior officers managed to find money from their tight budgets to rack up a bill of at least £119,000 on international travel last year.

One force spent hundreds sending musical instruments to Prague so staff could take part in an international band competition. Another coughed up a four-figure sum for officers to fly to New York for a training course.

The overall figure could be much higher as many forces refused to reveal details of trips or even how much they cost over fears officers could be targeted by terrorists.

Critics last night slammed the revelations.

Dia Chakravarty, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said international travel should be the “last option” for hard-pressed police forces.

She added: “While taxpayers will understand that some flights might be necessary, international travel should really be the last option, not the first. Forces need to explore the possibility of tele-conferencing wherever possible to ensure taxpayers get value for their money and that precious resources are spent on front-line services.”

In the north of England, Greater Manchester Police spent the most on foreign travel in 2013. It shelled out a total of £66,829, including £33,429 on flights, £23,901 on hotels and £9,500 on other expenses.

Merseyside Police spent £19,130 on 61 flights to foreign destinations and £8,256 putting up cops in hotels. Both forces refused to say where officers were sent.

Humberside Police, which is axing 700 police officers and 600 civilian staff in response to savage budget cuts, sent officers and staff to five European destinations. They included Dusseldorf, Germany and Dubrovnik in Croatia.

Their police band sent 25 members to the International Festival of Police Choirs and Bands in Prague. The trip cost £816.10 in total.

Cheshire Police sent staff to New York for a training course and its total spend on foreign travel was £6,300. Others have spent much less.

Cumbria Police spent £789 to send two officers abroad and Cleveland shelled out just £397 on two trips.

Northumbria would not even reveal whether it held records of its taxpayer-funded foreign trips, despite admitting revealing details would help the public “hold police to account”.

It refused to answer our request for information, claiming releasing it may help “international criminals and terrorists”.

North Yorkshire Police also refused to publish any details of its spending.

Durham Police and Police Scotland said it would cost too much to provide any information. Lancashire Constabulary failed to reply to our request.

Last night, a Humberside Police spokesman defended sending its band to Prague.

She said: “Band members funded their own flights and the £816 referred to relates to the transportation of the instruments which are the property of Humberside Police.”