MPA reimbursed for Tsunami costs

38/05
2 August 2005

The Metropolitan Police Authority has received full reimbursement of costs incurred for ‘Operation Bracknell’, the UK police response to the Tsunami disaster on Boxing Day 2004.

Full costs of £14,658,000 were recovered from the Treasury. These costs were additional to the policing budget for London and reflect the exceptional level of Metropolitan Police involvement in the operation.

Aneeta Prem, lead member of the Metropolitan Police Authority for this operation, said:

“The Met’s response to this unprecedented disaster was outstanding and illustrated the high levels of training and commitment achieved by our officers and staff.

“Multi-skilled teams of Met officers and staff were dispatched to Thailand and Sri Lanka immediately to work with international policing partners and local authorities, and in this country the Met set up the Casualty Bureau where trained police staff answered the Foreign and Commonwealth emergency number.

“While the MPA and the Met were unstinting in our commitment to give all the assistance and leadership we could in response to the tragedy we had to recover costs incurred - our primary duty is to police London and our finances are critical to ensure this.”

Aneeta concluded:

“As ever we remember all those families who lost loved ones, together with the people of those nations so tragically affected by the Tsunami and who are still trying to rebuild their lives.”

Notes to editors

1. ‘Operation Bracknell’ was originally led and co-ordinated by the Metropolitan Police but from 17 January 2005 took on a national structure. All British personnel were working to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and it became an international operation for recovery.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback