Duke of York's daughters 'could lose their 24-hour bodyguards'

Reports have suggested the round-the-clock security measures afforded to Eugenie, who is in her first year of study at Newcastle University, and Beatrice would end following a row about the costs of their bodyguards, said to be around 500,000 a year.

Green politician Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said the police protection list needed thorough examination.

"It's about time that the protection list was examined properly, and not simply wait for protected people to die before they can be crossed off the list.

"Not only do we protect partying junior royals, but also have 24/7 protection of at least one home of the often-absent multi-millionaire Blairs, in addition to protecting multi-millionaire ex-despotic dictators like (Pervez) Musharraf.

"I just don't understand why the taxpayer should pick up this very costly protection bill."

Neither the Metropolitan Police nor Buckingham Palace said they could comment on matters of security.

Scotland Yard explained the names of royals, politicians and other VIPs receiving police protection cannot be disclosed because to do so would increase the risk and the bill.

The Met said releasing a list of those guarded by specialist armed officers would hand vital information to dangerous terrorists, criminals and stalkers and senior officers said potential weaknesses in the police operation could be revealed as well as information about who is seen to be most at risk.

The number of people who receive Scotland Yard protection is the subject of an ongoing secret review chaired by a retired Whitehall mandarin.

The cost of safeguarding junior members of the Royal Family is one aspect that has come under considerable scrutiny.

Police forces receive extra funding for so-called dedicated security posts every year.

The Met bears the brunt of protection responsibilities and has been caught in a long-running dispute with the Government over how much it receives.

Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson wrote to the Home Office last year to request more cash to meet the multi-million-pound annual bill.

The move followed an internal audit that found high-profile individuals could be in danger because officers are overstretched.

The Government has agreed to hand over an extra 5m per year to cover the equivalent of 50 more posts.

But as part of the deal, the Met agreed to cut its soaring overtime bill for specialist officers by 1m.

Most of the protection budget is spent on salaries and overtime for round-the-clock armed guards on palaces and hi-tech security measures.

Officers can work up to 70 hours a week, particularly on foreign trips, and can receive overtime payments running into tens of thousands of pounds.

Official figures revealed the cost has been steadily rising, with the national bill in 2005, the last year for which figures are available, hitting 200m.