Top terror police officer in expenses probe after spending £15,000 on hotels and drinks

Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman is understood to have been questioned over claims including hotel stays and drinks for his staff.

The head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism branch is also facing allegations over foreign business trips he took with a female sergeant from his private office.

The Metropolitan Police Authority, the force's watchdog, is trying to establish why Mr Hayman's expenses – £15,000 over 30 months – are higher than those filed by colleagues of a similar rank.

He is also to be quizzed over why he claimed expenses for staying at a hotel in Heathrow before taking an early flight the next day when he has access to a publicly-funded apartment in central London.

Yesterday, an MPA spokesman said: "We can confirm there is a report which is going to be considered by the MPA's professional standards sub-committee.

"The report concerns expenditure relating to hospitality and will be considered in due course."

The Assistant Commissioner's role includes responsibilities for co-ordinating policy on counter-terrorism and liaising with foreign police forces on the fight against Al Qaeda.

He is in overall charge of the security of London, the protection of the royal family, linking with national security agencies including MI5, and briefing the Prime Minister on the terror threat.

One Scotland Yard insider said: "As the head of anti-terrorism in Britain he is expected to make a lot of trips and there are a lot of meetings with colleagues from forces across the UK and abroad.

"In that context that is not a lot of money over that period.

"There is no suggestion that there is anything wrong with this expenditure, the auditors are just saying that it needs to be clarified."

Mr Hayman, who is not accused of breaking the law, will also be questioned about why he was accompanied on some trips by his former staff officer Sergeant Heidi Tubby.

The sergeant is said to have gone on two trips abroad with the Assistant Commissioner.

Insiders point out that other staff officers travelled with him more frequently.

Sources say Mr Hayman is confident that he will clear his name.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "This is clearly serious and we have to await the outcome of the review.

"However, it may be the case that this raises further concern over Sir Ian Blair's leadership and control of the Met, since there have been criticisms over the control of expenses ever since he was first appointed."

The high-flying Hayman started his career with Essex Police in 1978 and later worked for the Met as head of the anti-corruption department.

He became chief constable of the Norfolk force in 2002, but returned to London in 2005 to take the job of assistant commissioner in charge of specialist operations, his current role.

The allegations follow separate questions over spending by officers on corporate credit cards.

Spending on American Express cards is under scrutiny by the force's corruption watchdog.

Mr Hayman was criticised by the Independent Police Complaint's Commission over his role in the bungled anti-terror operation that saw Jean Charles de Menezes shot dead at Stockwell Tube station after officers mistook him for a suicide bomber.