Police spend millions more on protecting VIPs - and cut beat bobbies

Specialist Operations - which includes guarding politicians, Royalty and visiting dignitaries, and all terror-related duties - consumed nearly 16 per cent of the force's budget in a year that saw the July 7 London bombings. It was a massive increase of £100 million on the previous 12 months.

The figures show how Britain's biggest police force is spending ever larger sums of taxpayers' money on protection and security work.

Disturbingly, the amount spent on routine patrols - the most visible and reassuring police presence - fell from £331 million to £313 million.

There was also a sharp drop in spending on intelligence-gathering, research and analysis, down from £161 million to just under £94 million.

Nearly £63 million was spent on cover for sick officers, the time officers took for refreshments cost £69 million in wages, and £122 million was spent on administrative paperwork.

Astonishingly, a further £26 million went on "checking paperwork" and £4 million on waiting time unrelated to any crime, such as officers waiting for equipment or vehicles to be repaired.

The Met's total expenditure for the 12 months to April 2006 was £3.2 billion - almost a quarter of the national policing bill.

Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: "These figures show that a disproportionate amount of money is being spent on operations like guarding VIPs, which should be funded by the Government.

"Crimes such as burglary and rape have a devastating effect on victims. The public want to see officers patrolling the streets and catching criminals. That is where resources should be concentrated."

The Met's Specialist Operations department includes an elite Special Escort Group of 50 motorcycle outriders who whisk anyone deemed a security risk through the London traffic at high speed.

Scotland Yard refuses to discuss its secret list of people judged worthy of such treatment. But there was surprise earlier this year when this newspaper revealed that two Range Rovers and six outriders had been assigned to escort a fleet of limousines taking the King of Bahrain and 70 guests to the Dorchester to celebrate his son's graduation from Sandhurst.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said last night: "As well as protecting our citizens, investigating crimes and delivering local policing, the Metropolitan Police also have capital city functions that bring national and international responsibilities. This does not detract from our ability to fight crime."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Authority, which supervises the force's budget, defended the millions spent on form-filling. "The Met is the largest single employer in London and this cost reflects the operational feat involved in running an organisation on that scale," he said.