Inquiry into Met guards lending money to royals

A police watchdog is to review the practice of allowing protection officers to lend money to members of the royal family.

The Metropolitan Police Authority will look into the tradition amid concern that it could make it difficult for officers to stay within their spending limits on corporate credit cards.

The move came after it emerged this week that Prince Charles had repaid the Met £2,744.34 after borrowing money from his protection officers.

Charles's security officials put "travel expenses", thought to be flights abroad, on a Met issue credit card. Anne McMeel, the Met's director of resources, said it had been investigated and was within policy.

She said the kind of payment involved was extremely rare and she was not aware of any other problems.

Labour MPA member Joanne McCartney said she was surprised that the practice was approved. Toby Harris, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority corporate governance committee, said he would look into the issue as part of a wider review of the Met's specialist operations.

Three Met officers are being investigated for possible abuse of a new Barclaycard corporate card system.