Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson said:
“This has been an unprecedented incident for our Force which has meant that significant costs have been incurred because of the scale of the investigation.
“I sent this funding request to the government last week and the fact that they have responded so promptly shows that they have recognised the impact this has had on Wiltshire Police.
“It was important that these additional costs were not of detriment to the residents of Wiltshire and the government’s initial special grant funding of £1.6 million is very welcome to ensure that this will not be the case.
“I am also very pleased that Policing Minister, Nick Hurd MP has recognised the ongoing costs of this operation to the Force and that this funding grant will revaluated once these costs are clearer.
“Salisbury has been drawn into an international debate and it’s important that they are not left shouldering the weight on behalf of the country.
“Wiltshire Police continues to do an outstanding job in extraordinary circumstances and we have received excellent support from around 20 other forces offering mutual aid.
“The commitment of our officers, staff and volunteers has been unfaltering and I continue to be amazed by their dedication and commitment in supporting this operation.
“This has been costly, and I’m in no doubt that it will continue to be but I’m confident that the government will continue to support us to ensure that policing in our county is unaffected.”
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said:
“I welcome the news that the bid for special grant funding submitted to the Government from the Police and Crime Commissioner has been approved. This major investigation has been unprecedented – hundreds of specialist officers, including forensic experts and intelligence officers, are deployed on to this investigation, working around the clock.
“This money is essential to ensure that we are able to continue to provide our normal policing services to the communities in Wiltshire and Swindon moving forwards.”
