£273,000 police bill to protect Blair at hearing

POLICE ran up a bill of £273,000 to protect Tony Blair as he attended the inquiry into the Iraq War, it was revealed yesterday.

Hundreds of officers were stationed outside the inquiry as the former Prime Minister faced a furious backlash from protesters.

The Metropolitan Police said the total cost of enforcing a ring of steel around the Westminster conference centre was 273,000 and could yet run higher.

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The bill was made up of 178,000 "opportunity costs", money the Met would have spent anyway meeting the wages of officers usually assigned to other duties.

The London force rang up a further 61,000 in overtime and 34,000 in other costs, including air support, barriers, transport, road signs and other equipment.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said 657 police officer shifts and 28 police staff shifts were worked during the operation.