Taxpayers hit with £45,000 MTV police bill

Published on Thursday 26 February 2004 00:00

POLICE have been left with a £45,000 bill for the staging of the MTV Europe Music Awards in Edinburgh.

The news today sparked fresh anger over the cost to taxpayers of hosting last November’s pop extravaganza in Leith.

Lothian and Borders Police are having to cough up the lion’s share of the policing costs - while MTV is paying just a third of the bill.

Police are having to pay out for protecting stars such as Beyonc Knowles, Kylie Minogue and Justin Timberlake while they were in town.

It means the total bill for local taxpayers for staging the awards has soared to more than 250,000.

Critics today said it was "scandalous" that the police should be left with such a bill in the wake of the event and insisted MTV should have been ordered to cover the full cost.

The row has heightened calls for the Scottish Executive to give the force extra funding to cope with the demands of policing the Capital.

Tory councillor Jim Gilchrist said: "There should have been a total recovery of all these costs from MTV. It’s absolutely scandalous the police have been left to foot this bill."

The Evening News earlier revealed that the council had to pay 125,000 to help cover the costs of creating the event arena at the Western Harbour.

Another 30,000 was committed by the council in advance to help meet the cost of flags and banners around the city, while the authority also had 75,000 worth of "hidden costs" to pay for extra clean-ups, traffic management, staffing costs and crush barriers.

The Executive also contributed 125,000, while Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian paid 500,000.

An economic impact study due to be published next month is expected to show the event generated around 4 million for the local economy.

MTV agreed in advance with police to share the 70,000 cost of policing the event. Police leaders insist the force used the same formula for calculating how much to bill MTV as they deploy for Hearts and Hibs matches and concerts.One of the biggest drains on police resources was protecting MTV staff and guests for six days around the event.

Cover was also provided at Edinburgh Airport, a string of top hotels in the city centre and the two main event arenas - West Princes Street Gardens and in the marquee next to Ocean Terminal.

The force also had to provide search teams, traffic wardens and officers deployed in "post-event dispersal duties".

Chief Constable Paddy Tomkins revealed the costs in a letter to SNP tourism spokesman and Lothians MSP Kenny MacAskill.

The letter states: "You will appreciate that it is difficult to measure the value of such an event in terms of public interest against the purely commercial benefit, but there is little doubt that the city of Edinburgh and surrounding area gain from attracting such high-profile ‘occasions.’ It is clear, however, that in this case, the public purse should not bear the full costs of policing."

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Dickson said: "We would normally bill the organisers to help pay for the policing costs for football matches at Easter Road and Tynecastle, rugby matches at Murrayfield, events like the Edinburgh Marathon, the Royal Highland Show and big pop concerts at somewhere like Edinburgh Castle.

"There isn’t a set percentage rate as it would depend on the type of event and the police resources that are required for it, but we wouldn’t send a bill for the full amount."

However, Liberal Democrat councillor Marilyne MacLaren said: "I’d have thought the police would’ve been able to get MTV to pay a bit more than the 25,000. Their contribution just isn’t good enough."Mr MacAskill added: "There is absolutely no way the taxpayer in Edinburgh should be picking up the tab for the policing of this event. The force needs to get extra funding that properly reflects Edinburgh’s capital city status."

No-one from MTV was available for comment.