LONDONERS could face a “terror tax” to pay for Scotland Yard’s battle with the bombers and the protection of millions of travellers.

Householders will see a rise in council tax next spring or a dramatic cutback in police services unless ministers are prepared to find more cash for the force.

The cost of investigations into the attacks on July 7 and July 21 is already running at £500,000 a day as 1,000 officers, often working 12-hour shifts seven days a week, hunt the terrorist masterminds.

Detectives are being drawn from other operations, including fighting London’s crime barons and high-profile murders to relieve tired officers.

At the same time police are committed to a massive security operation as the threat level remains at its second highest amid concern that another terrorist cell is poised to strike.

Despite 37 arrests since July 21, security chiefs have set the threat level at “severe specific” and say that there is no alternative to maintaining “appropriate” police patrols in London.

The result is that Scotland Yard, British Transport Police and the City of London Police are daily deploying hundreds of officers across London in a high-visibility operation.

Each Thursday their ranks are swelled to 6,000 officers, many armed, as they patrol the Underground and mainline rail systems at a cost of more than £2 million.

Metropolitan Police finance chiefs are already trying to calculate the burgeoning bill which is eating into reserves of £14 million saved from last year and an extra £14 million given by the Home Office in April for counter-terrorism operations.

Within days of the first bombs Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner, knew that his force would be stretched, not only for manpower but cash, and approached ministers.

A senior spokesman told The Times: “We are in consultation with central government for extra funding. Obviously we have not got infinite resources and we will have to find the money from somewhere.”

Home Office officials say that ministers would look at any approach under a system that allows special grants to be made in unusual circumstances. However, if the crisis is lengthy the Treasury will become involved and officials say that there may not be much room for manoeuvre.

The Treasury has agreed to pay £14.6 million for Operation Bracknell, the response to the tsunami on Boxing Day last year, but has little other spare cash.

Len Duvall, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said he hoped that ministers would rally to help but admitted that a rise in the precept was possible.

“I am optimistic. We are facing a different situation than we have ever faced before. It is a complex situation which has implications for other forces and I expect government will recognise this,” he said.

Last year householders on Band D in London paid £184 for policing. This year the figure rose to £196 and is already certain to rise again to meet the cost of wage increases.

On top of that there will be an increase of about 28p a week to meet the cost of the Olympics in 2012.

For Sir Ian and his senior officers the headaches over cash are only part of their problems. Manpower in local boroughs and specialist teams is steadily being stripped to maintain the counter-terrorist effort.

Tarique Ghaffur, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of major detectives covering organised crime and murder, disclosed yesterday that work was down to a “trickle” on a number of high-profile cases.

They include new investigations into the murder of PC Keith Blakelock during riots the Broadwater Farm Estate riots in Tottenham in 1985 and the murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common more than ten years ago. The investigation into the murder of Amélie Delagrange in West London has also slowed.

Mr Ghaffur said that between 300 and 470 officers had been taken from his units for counter-terrorism duties. He said: “Quite clearly there could be long-term implications if this level of abstraction continues. The Met is stretched and this is going to continue for a while.”

He said that gun crime has started to climb again and the murder detection rate is falling. New drives against drug dealers are also being cut back.

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