Road blocks, police helicopters and blacked-out windows: But just who are the billionaires and politicians arriving for secretive Bilderberg conference at Watford hotel and what do they do there?

Attendees thought to include politicians, top business executives and royalty

Delegates were heckled by protesters as they arrived for four-day meeting

MP Michael Meacher describes delegates as the 'real top brass of Western finance capitalism'

Massive police operation could cost British taxpayer around £2million



Conspiracy theorists claim leaders use event to plot world domination

Bilderberg researcher : 'There are villains there who are basically trying to organise government'



Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Eric Schmidt of Google will both be attending

List of 140 politicians, academics and businessmen only includes 14 women

Delegates for a private conference of top politicians and businesspeople from around the world have started to arrive at a luxury country hotel.

Several cars with blacked-out windows entered the gates of the Grove Hotel, near Watford, in Hertfordshire, this morning for the secretive meeting of the Bilderberg Group.

It is thought billionaire executives from multinational companies such as Amazon and Google, high-ranking political figures including Chancellor George Osborne, and even members of royal families are among the 130 or so attendees.

Famous for being shrouded in secrecy, the Bilderberg conference is taking place in Britain for the first time since 1998 and conspiracy theorists believe this is where leaders plot world domination.

The huge police operation drafted in to monitor the four-day event, which has previously attracted mass demonstrations, could cost the British taxpayer as much as £2million or more, it has been claimed.

Scroll down for videos and a full Bilderberg Conference guest list

On guard: Police patrol the grounds of The Grove hotel which is hosting the annual Bilderberg conference Demonstration: Protesters stand behind a security barrier in the grounds of the Grove Hotel. Conspiracy theorists believe the conference is where business leaders plot world domination

Cloaked: Famous for being shrouded in secrecy, the Bilderberg conference is taking place in Britain for the first time since 1998 and conspiracy theorists believe this is where leaders plot world domination Incognito: Several cars with blacked-out windows entered the gates of the Grove Hotel, near Watford, in Hertfordshire, this morning for the secretive meeting of the Bilderberg Group

Watford town mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: 'I think it's outrageous that the local taxpayer has to pick up the tab for ostensibly a private meeting of trillionaires, probably the most wealthy people in the world.

'Hertfordshire Constabulary have suddenly got this unexpected budget strain dumped on them at literally a month's notice. It's not on.'

Hertfordshire Police has not revealed details of the bill, but they are in talks with the Home Office about a grant for 'unexpected or exceptional costs'.

This is only approved if expenditure threatens a force's budget, which would need to be more than one per cent of its overall spend - or about £1.8million, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Hertfordshire Police said the Bilderberg Group has agreed to contribute some of the cost of security, but taxpayers will have to cover the rest.

A spokesman added: 'We will also be seeking funding from other sources to help cover the costs of policing and are in discussion with the Home Office about other funding sources.'



Ring of steel: Police officers man a road block as delegates arrived for the four-day meeting Alert: Police on horseback patrol the area around the hotel as delegates arrive for the conference Ring of steel: Three police officers man a gate on the outskirts of the hotel 'Outrageous': The huge police operation drafted in to monitor the four-day event, which has previously attracted mass demonstrations, could cost the British taxpayer as much as £2million or more, it has been claimed Amid tight security, members of the press and a handful of protesters gathered in a fenced-off area just inside the grounds of the hotel today, but around half a mile from the redbrick hotel. As delegates arrived for the four-day meeting from around 10.30am, protesters heckled their cars, shouting 'scum', 'pay your taxes' and 'shame on you' as they disappeared down the driveway. The demonstrators, who gathered in the sunshine to wave anti-capitalist placards, play guitars and listen to speeches, were searched for alcohol and drugs as they entered the site.

Michael Meacher, the Labour MP, called the delegates the 'real top brass of Western finance capitalism'. He said he believed Osborne would be attending for the sixth time this year, and named the meeting's 'steering committee' as Henri de Castries, the chairman of Axa, Peter Thiel, 'a billionaire venture capitalist', Thomas Enders from EADS, the defence manufacturing company, and Peter Sutherland, the chairman of Goldman Sachs. Protest: A poster adorns the security barrier of the protester encampment outside The Grove hotel, which is hosting the annual Bilderberg conference Making their views known: American radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (left), speaks to the media, while protester Steve Jolly (right), from the organisation No CCTV wears a cardboard replica of a security camera on his head in the protester encampment outside The Grove hotel

Campaigners: Amid tight security, members of the press and a handful of protesters gathered in a fenced-off area just inside the grounds of the hotel, but around half a mile from the redbrick hotel Speaking in the pen near the hotel gates, he said: 'They are the leaders of the biggest banks, the biggest multinational companies, people from the UN institutions like the World Bank, World Trade Organisation, several EU commissioners and several politicians from the US, Canada, the UK and the EU. 'These are people who are all in the most dominant positions in the governance of Western capitalism. 'They only meet in order to concert their plans about the future of capitalism over the immediate future period - the next year or two. 'My objection is that it's being done in utter secrecy with the police keeping everyone else out.'

'Real top brass': It is thought billionaire executives from multinational companies, high-ranking political figures and even members of royal families are among the 130 or so attendees

Keeping watch: The traditionally secretive conference, which has taken place since 1954, is expected to be attended by politicians, bank bosses, businessman and European royalty Tight security: Police officers stand guard on the roads surrounding The Grove hotel near Watford, which is hosting the annual Bilderberg conference of top politicians and businesspeople from around the world

The politician said although he has no problem with powerful people meeting in private, the numbers at the Bilderberg meeting means they should be held accountable.

'When 130 of the leaders from all across the West get together, and many of these are billionaires, they are people who are immensely wealthy and immensely powerful,' he said.

'And when they all get together, it's not just to have a chat about the latest problem, it is to concert plans for the future of capitalism in the West.

On the guest list: Among those attending the conference will be Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls (left) and Conservative MP Kenneth Clarke (right) Delegates: Christine Lagarde (left), managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and former Labour MP Peter Mandelson (right), who is now chairman of Global Counsel, will also be taking part in the event

Also attending is Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt

'That is on a very different scale.'

Chancellor George Osborne and his Labour counterpart Ed Balls will be there along with Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt of Google.

They are among the 140 people, including only 14 women - who will this week discuss topics such as ‘cyber warfare’ and ‘jobs, entitlement and debt’.



Delegates never reveal exactly what is discussed, but it will involve the key issues these leaders believe the world faces.

Alex Jones, the U.S. television personality and Bilderberg researcher, said: 'It is very, very sinister.

'Not everybody who goes to Bilderberg, from my research, is a scoundrel or a villain.



'But there are definitely villains who are there who are basically trying to organise government and business.'

Judd Charlton, a ventriloquist from Camden in north London, said: 'We are basically here to bring down the parasites who are drug dealers and bank collapses who seem to want to destroy this world.'