The Cost of Policing Football

The chief constable of South Wales has raised the issue of the cost of policing events including football matches.

Barbara Wilding says that without funding increases, she would be forced to charge promoters of major events in Cardiff the full policing costs.

In an interview with BBC Wales she revealed that the recent Football League match between Cardiff and Swansea cost £250,000 to police, for which South Wales Police received only £25,000 from the event promoters.

In essence the interview was a plea for more funding for the South Wales police, but Ms Wilding stressed that if the force did not receive more funding it would have to either cut services or charge the full cost of policing events including football.

"If football clubs are not able to pay for the level of policing that we say is needed for that event on risk, it's all done on risk, then they may have to consider whether they can run the event in the circumstances.

"And that, of course, would have a hugh impact on the ecomony of hotels, shops, transport, the whole thing.

"Now we don't want to do that but we are being forced."

Meanwhile The Millennium Stadium's manager, Gerry Toms, has said that the stadium will only pay for policing inside the ground.

Mr Toms, a former chief superintendent with South Wales Police, said the force only had the right to charge sports grounds for the police inside the stadium not outside.

"We are already passing on the cost of the policing charges that we currently bear because those are part of the ticket prices," he said.

"The circular has not changed. It still clearly makes it evident that it can charge only for policing inside the ground and not outside the ground."

Hereford United have received invoices from West Mercia Police for policing costs in and around Edgar Street this season. Some time ago manager Graham Turner said the case could go to court.

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