Police waste £11.4m on HQ
A POLICE force wasted £11.4million of taxpayers’ money on a new HQ that stood empty for five years.
Hampshire Constabulary spent £9.6million buying “white elephant” Alpha Park, in Chandler’s Ford, Hants – £3million more than it was valued at.
Although no one works there the force has also since spent £1.8million on round-the-clock security.
Now it has decided to cut its losses and sell up. Angry rank-and-file police representatives said yesterday the waste would “stick in the throat” of more than 400 officers who face losing their jobs as part of £50million budget cuts. The lost money would be enough to pay the first-year salary of 500 officers on £23,000.
John Apter, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, said: “I find it hard to comprehend how such a vast amount can be just written off.”.