INFORMANTS have pocketed more than £750,000 of taxpayers’ cash from Hampshire Constabulary during the last five years.

Since 2004, police informants have received £763,172.09 for helping Hampshire officers to crack crime. The figure was released to The Gazette following a Freedom of Information request.

The force has been criticised by The TaxPayers’ Alliance, which has called for the police to justify the expenditure. However Hampshire Constabulary has defended the amount, claiming the practice of paying informants provides vital information about criminal activity.

During 2008-09, a total of £86,153.09 was paid to informants. The force said it could not release figures relating just to the Basingstoke and Deane area, as the information could not be easily retrieved.

Detective Superintendent Keith Deakin, Hampshire Constabulary’s informant registrar, said: “The use of members of the public as informants is a well-established tactic to gain information in relation to criminals and criminal activity.

“The way in which they are used is governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act part two and is independently audited by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners.

“In order to protect the use of such people, it would be inappropriate for me to disclose details of any offences in which members of the public have supported police investigations, and I am not prepared to disclose how many covert intelligence sources we liaise with or the amounts paid to individuals,” he added.

Det Supt Deakin rejected any suggestion that informants are able to trade information with impunity.

“The idea that informants are exempt from the law is totally without foundation. Indeed, everyone who provides us with information is told that if they commit a crime, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law and will be afforded no special dispensations.

“As a council taxpayer, I am totally satisfied that people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are getting exceptional value for money from the use of this policing tactic.”

The figures show £249,494 was paid in 2004-05, £189,470 in 2005-06, £122,533 in 2006-07 and £115,522 in 2007-08.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive at The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Hampshire Constabulary has spent a staggering amount of taxpayers’ money on informers.

“If the police need to spend money on informants to solve crimes, they should be willing to defend that policy in public and need to be able to demonstrate that this method leads to direct reductions in violent crime.

“There are obvious ethical concerns about giving money to criminals, and there needs to be openness and scrutiny to make sure it’s justified.”