Coronavirus crisis costs West Midlands Police an extra £7m

The force has been forced to fork out millions to ensure officers and staff have adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as laptops and mobile phones to allow some staff to work from home.

Chiefs say the force has lost out on nearly £1.5m through airports being closed and a fall in investigations during the coronavirus crisis.

Overtime and temporary staffing costs have set the force back nearly £250,000.

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Fitting screens and introducing other measures to ensure buildings comply with social distancing measures also cost nearly £300,000.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said he expects the Government to reimburse the costs as the force cannot cope with such a hit to its finances "without consequences for the frontline".

Force leaders have also warned there was no room in the 2020/21 budget for coronavirus-related costs, and that it was unclear whether the Government would step in to cover costs outside of PPE.

Mr Jamieson told the latest Police and Crime Board meeting: "By June, Covid-19 will have cost West Midlands Police at least £7 million.

"We have sent into Government a detailed breakdown of our direct costs. After a decade of austerity it is simply not possible for us to avoid them without consequences for the frontline.

"Our budgets are already stretched and I am concerned about the impact this will have if the Home Office do not step in. The Government are yet to be clear on whether they will cover all of our costs."

Deputy Police Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem said: "I hope they will come in and cover the costs as a matter of urgency."

A report ahead of the meeting said: "There is no provision for the above costs in the overall 2020-21 budget of the force.

"It is expected that the Government will provide additional funding to forces to cover the costs of PPE required in relation to Covid-19.

"However, it is unclear whether the Government will provide additional funding to forces to cover all other costs of Covid-19.”