A row over the massive escalation in policing costs at festivals is brewing between music promoters and the police after newly available documents reveal the controversial methods forces are using to calculate their bills. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has drawn up guidelines suggesting the cost of policing should be set at £55 per hour, per officer for festivals, which it believes pose a greater risk to the public safety than any other outdoor event, including football matches. The result is that the majority of summer festivals have seen their policing costs at least double over the past few years – one festival saw its bill rise from £12,500 las...

read more...