The authorities in Gloucestershire announced that the Constabulary has used over half a million pounds over a five year time period to hire vehicles for the police force. A Freedom of Information request saw the details leaked to the public which reveal that the police force has spent at least £579,152.00 for car hire for the past five years.

On a national level, the figures remain similar with police forces spending almost the same amount, half a million pounds, per week on car rentals. Authorities in Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland similarly spend up to  £132 million on hired vehicles over the past five years, which on average is roughly £70,000 per day.

The announcement comes at an awkward time for authorities as they try to save on strapped cash in anticipation for cuts to the public spending sectors. Chris Huhne, the spokesman for the Liberal Democrat home affairs, said that the figures reveal that money is being spent lavishly at a time when police officials should be cutting back on unnecessary spending.

The numbers were published to the public after Mr. Huhne, under the Freedom of Information Act, requested the figures be released. The request covered boroughs in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The release of the numbers indicated that across the board all of these police authorities were spending exorbitant amounts on car hire.

The Metropolitan Police, which is by far the country’s largest police force, spent a total of almost  £50 million for car hire, while West Midlands spent an additional  £10 million for a similar time frame on the same services.