Campaigners have expressed outrage at the estimated £7 million cost of keeping 155 police officers in London suspended on full pay while they are investigated for alleged wrongdoing. According to figures from Scotland Yard and the City of London force, the monthly expense amounts to around £581,250.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, condemned the situation, stating that taxpayers would be “disgusted” by the millions spent on suspended officers facing serious accusations, sometimes for years. He urged police chiefs and ministers to reform a system that leaves households footing the bill for officers who are “sat at home on full pay.”
Nationally, a record 750 UK officers are on so-called “gardening leave” at a cost of £2.6 million per month. This figure is up five per cent from last year and more than triple the 225 recorded in 2022. The rise follows high-profile cases such as that of disgraced Metropolitan Police Commander Julian Bennett, who was suspended in 2020 and ultimately sacked after a protracted disciplinary process costing an estimated £1.5 million.
Despite his dismissal, Bennett, now over 60, is entitled to a pension lump sum exceeding £400,000 and annual payments of around £80,000. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist described the case as an “utter waste of public funds,” noting that Bennett never disputed refusing a lawful order to take a drugs test.
A Met Police spokeswoman defended the process, stating that suspensions are decided after careful consideration of risks. The rules governing suspensions are set by the Home Office, and officers are typically suspended on full pay except in specific circumstances. The force emphasised that it continues to take action against officers whose behaviour falls below expected standards.
