Fingers in the till?

Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money was spent without documentation by the National Black Police Association (NBPA) on trips abroad, equipment and loans, an audit has revealed.

An internal NBPA report leaked yesterday to Police Review, a professional magazine for the police service, shows cheques for almost £40,000 with no recorded payees.

The Home Office has already sent in auditors to look at the accounts of the association and yesterday confirmed that the Whitehall auditors had begun further investigations.

Tony McNulty, the police minister, is due to meet NBPA officials.

The report, compiled by auditors for the NBPA’s current executive, who started in November 2005, says there is no suggestion of embezzlement but questions what it calls the “appropriate distribution of expenditure”.

The report shows that two satellite navigation systems were bought, costing £1,400, and there was evidence of financial loans, including one of £14,693. Flowers worth £44 were ordered without any evidence as to why, and other expenditure totalling £385 was made on a trip to Zimbabwe.

Not exactly good for the public image of a police organisation for it to be investigated for financial dodginess, is it? Still, some would say it's not exactly good for the public image of the police force to have among its members those who seem more interested in playing grievance politics than in protecting the public, and that hasn't stopped the NBPA.