Met's bill for art and gardening blossoms as frontline staff axed

More than £10 million has been spent by the Metropolitan Police on artwork, gardening and cleaning at a time when severe cutbacks are being made to their frontline services.

Evening Standard can reveal that the Met spent £7.3 million on cleaning London police stations last year alone and £3.221 million on gardening over the past three years.

This spending on non-frontline services comes as thousands of London officers and police staff are being axed after funding cutbacks. The Met says it has done all it can to protect jobs and crucial police services. But Emma Boon, spokeswoman for the Taxpayers Alliance, said these figures show that there is "still plenty of room to cut spending that won't affect frontline services".

"Taxpayers expect the Met to use taxpayers' money to fight crime and catch crooks, not to waste it on landscaping and art," she said.

An artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of former Met commissioner Ian Blair to hang in New Scotland Yard at a cost of £9,626. Two prints of the Queen were bought last year at a cost of £253.

Gardening costs included the maintenance and management of sports grounds, the maintenance of soft landscaped areas and mature trees and "external cleanliness to external structures". Nearly £4,000 was spent on one gardening project which related to the relocation of a memorial garden.

Ms Boon added: "There's certainly room to prune the gardening budget, taxpayers will be shocked at how high it is."

A Met spokesman said: "The MPS is committed to reducing costs wherever possible. Keeping police buildings and open spaces safe, clean and tidy is essential in order to provide a safe and acceptable environment to members of the public, officers and staff."