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Britain\u2019s biggest anti-terrorist investigation was a \u00a35 million overtime bonanza seized on by police as the chance to pay for Caribbean holidays, plasma televisions and nights at The Savoy.<\/p>\n
The Times<\/em> has seen e-mails circulated to officers across Thames Valley Police offering \u201cpremium rates\u201d of pay to those \u201cwith a raging credit card habit\u201d. Volunteers were told that night shifts, believed to be paid at \u00a3300 each, would give them time to \u201cread a good book, take up botany or ornithology, study for your sergeant\u2019s exam [or] work out the compound interest on a rest day\u2019s pay\u201d.<\/p>\n One message, which was marked \u201c108 shopping days to Christmas\u201d, sought officers for Saturday shifts and said that the payments \u201ccould buy the joy and admiration of your children on Christmas morning . . . is that not priceless?\u201d<\/p>\n The internal e-mails were sent to officers across the force at the height of a big search in King\u2019s Wood and Fennels Wood near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The work was part of Operation Overt, the inquiry into an alleged terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic airliners<\/p>\n Thames Valley Police said yesterday that the e-mails were \u201cin poor taste\u201d and that its involvement in the operation cost the force \u00a38 million, including \u00a34.9 million in overtime.<\/p>\n After the end of the airline plot trial last week, Andy Hayman, the former Scotland Yard officer in charge of special operations, disclosed in The Times<\/em> that he had resisted pressure from Thames Valley Police Authority to stop the searches, which it said were too expensive.<\/p>\n While specialist teams searched the woodland, uniformed Thames Valley officers were required to stand guard. The e-mails seeking volunteers were sent by Sergeant David Bald to colleagues in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Wolverton and Newport Pagnell.<\/p>\n Mr Bald, who signed off as \u201cMiracle Worker\u201d in an e-mail of August 24, 2006, added: \u201cSo there you have it. Not only would you be insuring [sic] the integrity of evidence in the most important terrorist trial in the UK for 30 years (and that is reward in itself, not to mention a great PDR [personal development record] entry) but you could also afford one of the above rewards which would give you great enjoyment and satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n The next day he wrote: \u201cIf you\u2019re available then please ping me an e-mail – it\u2019ll pay off the credit card.\u201d<\/p>\n Another message was circulated on September 6 and said: \u201cFor all officers (especially those scared of the dark) I now have a significant number of day shifts available on premium rates.\u201d<\/p>\n On September 8 he said that the duties required \u201clittle effort, no paper-work and a restful time away from the stresses and strains of everyday life\u201d.<\/p>\n The disclosure comes as the police service is increasingly concerned about its image. Ian Johnston, president of the Police Superintendents\u2019 Association, issued a warning this week that the public was losing confidence in officers.<\/p>\n Home Office assessments ranked Thames Valley last year as the third-worst performing police force in Britain. A report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said that the diversion of Thames Valley\u2019s resources to Operation Overt had \u201csignificantly depleted its operational capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n A spokesman for the force said: \u201cThe e-mails were unacceptable but do not reflect the attitude of police officers as a whole. They were misguided and written in poor taste and recalled as soon as senior officers became aware of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Hundreds of Thames Valley officers took part in Operation Overt over a six-month period. The spokesman said: \u201cWe deployed officers from their usual Thames Valley postings for 5,184 working days, at an opportunity cost of \u00a31.4 million. This put a strain on the policing of local communities and therefore overtime at a cost of \u00a34.9 million was used, as well as assistance from other forces at a cost of \u00a31.9 million.\u201d<\/p>\n