A POLICE chief has quashed rumours that Dorset’s taxpayers and the Dorset force will have to pay out for safety at the Olympics.

It comes after claims that the initial security costs have almost doubled from £21million to £38million for the events in Weymouth and Portland in 2012.

Chief Constable Martin Baker told the Dorset Police Authority at Winfrith that the force would not financially suffer, despite the scale of operations planned.

He said: “We are not spending anything on the Olympics that hasn’t been arranged.

“We won’t be spending any money that should be spent on policing in Dorset on that operation.”

Dorset Police Force is in continuous discussions with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Locog) to plan for security at the games and are currently submitting a bid for funding before and during the games.

The Home Office said it provided Dorset Police with £2.3million-worth of funding in 2007/08 so the force could prepare for the games.

A spokesman said it was too early to say when and how much further funding would be allocated.

He said the entire security budget was £600million for the 2012 Games but there was a contingency of £238million.

A spokesman from the Olympic Security Directorate confirmed that the estimated security budget for Weymouth and Portland was £38million but that was likely to change.

Mr Baker told authority members that in 2007 a figure of £21million was discussed but that it was not the total cost of operations. He added that despite successful discussions so far there was a ‘lack of urgency’ within central government to advise of details on the overall funding package.

He said the latest process for securing funding has meant the bid had been separated into 32 separate ‘work streams,’ each requiring its own business case and each work stream is being considered by the Home Office.

Mr Baker added: “We have to cover in excess of 60 days’ operation for the Olympics.

“We do not know at this stage exactly what Locog is responsible for so it is extremely unwise to band figures around.

“We are working with the Home Office to ensure there is a safe and secure event.”

Chairman of the Dorset Police Federation Clive Chamberlain said he was concerned the force had not yet been given the money it had asked for to police the security operation. Mr Chamberlain said Dorset Police was already under severe financial pressure, being the second-worst funded force in the country and having to reduce the number of officers by 43 this year.

He added: “The money should come from central government, it shouldn’t have to be raised locally.

“There doesn’t seem to be any urgency from the Government to get this sorted. Dorset Police needs to know how much money it is getting and when.”

South Dorset MP Jim Knight said he was not surprised the security budget had gone up as it reflected the increased terrorist threat.

But he said: “Taxpayers in London are paying extra on their council tax bills because there will be huge regeneration benefits in the capital.

“There’s no proposal I have seen about a council tax supplement in Dorset.”