More than 6,300 officers deployed for June trip, at time of pressure on police resources

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK cost the Metropolitan police nearly £3.5m, at a time of rising pressure on police resources.

Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated against the US president in London before he attended a D-day commemoration service in Portsmouth.

The total cost to the Met for policing the visit was £3,419,905, with more than 6,300 officers deployed during the three-day UK trip, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Met spent just under £3m policing the president’s previous visit to the UK in 2018, although the total cost of that four-day trip came in at more than £14.2m to forces across the UK.

A breakdown of costs for the state visit shows more than £800,000 was spent on overtime, £215,000 on infrastructure, £31,385 on fleet costs, £23,000 on hotels, £34,481 on catering and £41,000 on mutual aid.

Play Video 3:01 Three days in three minutes: Donald Trump's visit to the UK – video highlights

Trump’s first official state visit to the UK began on 3 June and included a state banquet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. He subsequently spent two nights in Ireland.

Jeremy Corbyn addressed crowds of protesters from a stage in Whitehall during the second day of the president’s visit, while Trump dismissed reports of demonstrations as “fake news”.

Scotland Yard said four arrests were made: one for possession of pepper spray and a class B drug, one for criminal damage and two for outraging public decency.

Before Trump’s visit, a Met spokeswoman said: “A very experienced command team is preparing the multi-faceted policing and security operation for the president’s visit and, whilst the Met has a responsibility to ensure the right to lawful protest, this needs to be balanced with the complex requirements of this policing plan.”

The data released by the force shows more than 6,300 police officers were deployed during Trump’s visit, with the majority on the streets during his two days in London.

On 3 June, the day the president flew into Stansted on Air Force One, there were 2,714 police, ranking from PC to deputy assistant commissioner, on duty, as well as 14 other police staff.

The following day, when the largest protests took place, 3,249 police officers were on duty, along with 30 other police staff.

There were 411 officers deployed in London as Trump attended the D-day event in Portsmouth, and 306 were in place on 2 June, as the force prepared for the president’s arrival, while just 38 were on duty on 6 June when he visited Ireland.

Hampshire police deployed their own officers during his visit to the commemoration event at the Portsmouth naval museum but will not publish figures until later in the year.

A Garda spokesman said the cost of Trump’s trip to Ireland, where he stayed at his Doonbeg hotel and golf resort in County Clare, had yet to be finalised.