Scotland Yard chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe today defended taking delivery of a £65,000 Range Rover, saying he hoped people would not see it as a “luxury”.

The Met Commissioner has come under fire for accepting the vehicle — complete with a £1,000 backseat entertainment system — just days before warning that government cutbacks could put the public in danger.

But today he said his old Range Rover had done 130,000 miles and kept on breaking down, so he was told to get a replacement.

Sir Bernard was speaking after details emerged that he was given a new three-litre Range Rover Vogue SE on October 6 last year — a time when he was warning about the damaging effects of government spending curbs.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, deputy chairman of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee, criticised the decision, saying: “I would question expenditure on what seems to be luxury goods.”

Sir Bernard said today: “I hope to persuade people that it is not a luxury to have a car to travel around in because of the nature of the job I do.

"You could argue that I should not have a driver but I do sometimes need security arrangements.”

He said he had delayed replacing the car two years ago because of concerns about austerity, adding: “All we’ve done is replace the old one. It’s not that I’ve bought a very good car for myself compared to what it was before, it was just a replacement.

"We actually delayed that replacement by two years. I was told I should replace it two years ago.

Interactive image: Discover the comforts of the Range Rover Vogue SE 3.0

“We were losing £600 million at the time and I didn’t think it was very sensible. It had done about 130,000 miles and it had got less reliable.

“You could argue this should not be such a nice car but frankly I have some security arrangements which means there is always more than one of us in the car — so has to be quite a big one.

“I think it is a fair question to ask if you should pay so much for a car but I’d hope to persuade you that you have to replace a vehicle, it has to be reasonably big.”

The police chief, speaking on the Nick Ferrari LBC radio show, was replying to a question by “Sally in Kingston” who asked why he needed to spend so much on a car at a time of austerity.

Sir Bernard said he could have gone for another car but there was pressure to buy British-made vehicles.

The Met said in a statement that the Range Rover, which is for both business and personal use, had been purchased after a recommendation from the force’s fleet services department.

It said: “Options for a new vehicle were put to the commissioner by the fleet services experts.

"The purchase of the new vehicle followed due process ensuring the best possible value was achieved and was approved by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.”

Sir Bernard, referring to the new car’s entertainment system, which includes TV in the back seats, said he needed to keep in touch with media outlets.

He added: “I have to run a big organisation. I am responsible and accountable to 8.6 million people, so we have to respond quickly. I do not sit there watching TV all day.”

He denied also using a Jaguar XF car but said he did have a 12-year-old Audi A6 in case the Range Rover fails, adding: “It broke down a few times.”