Thames Valley police ask for Home Office help after covering major events in 2018

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Policing costs for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle and the visit of Donald Trump cost more than £9.4m, Thames Valley police have said.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May, which attracted around 110,000 well-wishers, racked up a security bill of £3.4m.

The US president’s brief visit in July for afternoon tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle, dinner hosted by Theresa May at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, and a trip to Chequers, Buckinghamshire, cost £6m.

Thames Valley police said it had recovered £7.9m for both policing operations from the Home Office.

The Prince of Wales paid for private costs relating to the royal wedding, which was televised worldwide, but the policing and security costs of £3,428,650 were borne by the taxpayer.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Donald Trump and Theresa May during the US president’s visit to Chequers last July Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

As part of the security operation before the couple’s nuptials, extensive sweeps were made along the route of their carriage procession from the castle, through the town centre and along the Long Walk.

The bills for both events covered the cost of officers and staff deployed, as well as technical and physical security measures, accommodation, catering and transport.

The entire police operation for Trump’s visit – which would have included the huge protests in London and other cities around the UK – has been estimated to have cost nearly £18m, with nearly 10,000 officers needed to cover his four-day trip.

Thames Valley police applied for special grant funding from the Home Office to cover the costs of both operations. The total recovered by the force for the royal wedding was £2,364,690, and it recovered £5,476,205 for Trump’s visit, which cost it £6,000,610.

Anthony Stansfeld, the police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “Whilst I am proud that the force’s effective policing response ensured the safety and security of all involved in these events, it was extremely important to me to minimise the impact on local policing.

“I am therefore delighted that the Home Office has provided us with special grant funding to cover the additional costs incurred by Thames palley Police in policing both of these events.”