The organisers of a festival which was forced into administration earlier this year owe Dorset Police more than £140,000 - the cost of five full-time PCs.

The force is listed as an unsecured creditor of Bestival. The bill was for providing police at the event, which has drawn thousands of people to Lulworth Castle, Purbeck over the past two years. It is understood the money is unlikely to be recovered.

Superintendent Mike Rogers, gold commander for Bestival, said: “We worked with event organisers in the run up to Bestival and resources were provided under a Home Office arrangement called ‘specialist policing services’.

“This process allows us to charge for the additional demands that a private event places on the force, ensuring costs are not met by local residents. The payment of our policing services invoice, totalling £141,176, is still outstanding.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said said he was working hard to try and ensure the money was recovered.

He said: “This matter is now in the hands of the Bestival administrators.

“I am incredibly frustrated that in a time of budget challenge, the equivalent of 10 per cent of the value of a normal two per cent precept rise is still owing to the force.

“I want to assure residents that I am working with the chief constable to ensure money owed is recovered.”

Camp Bestival tickets go on sale tomorrow, November 30. However, a question mark remains over Bestival’s future.

Both Bestival and Camp Bestival were hit by financial challenges in September.

Billionaire James Benamore, Dorset’s richest man, made a £1.1m offer to take over Camp Bestival days after his business the Richmond Group filed court papers seeking to put the companies behind the events into administration.

The Richmond Group had loaned the organisers £1.6m in February, and had taken a charge on some of their assets.

Administrators later sold the event’s assets, along with Bestival itself, to the Richmond Group.

The following month, the Bestival brands were acquired by Live Nation-Gaiety and SJM Concerts.

Although organisers say they are now “back in control” of Camp Bestival, a question mark remains over the future of Bestival.

Both events take place at Lulworth Castle in Purbeck.