BRITAIN’S most senior police officer faces a new threat to his job after allegations that officers using police-issue American Express cards have run up hundreds of thousands of pounds in unaccounted expenses.

The cards were first issued to senior Metropolitan police officers five years ago, including those guarding the royal family, for spending on flights and hotels while on duty.

But following the arrest of two officers from the counter-terrorism squad last week in connection with the allegations Scotland Yard admitted its professional standards watchdog had launched a review of spending by all staff issued with American Express cards. “Any alleged criminality that is uncovered will be dealt with robustly,” a spokesman said last night. “We have a comprehensive plan to recover any money that is outstanding.”

Sir Ian Blair, the Met commissioner, is already fighting renewed calls to resign over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian mistaken for a suicide bomber. His position may become untenable if it is shown any spending that is unaccounted for — said to include buying televisions, jewellery and holidays — is part of a systemic abuse.

According to one former officer, suspicions of credit card abuse were raised by a Metropolitan Police Authority auditor in 2005. Some officers were said to be claiming expenses twice when it was found bills were being automatically paid by the force.

“Whatever balance was on it at the end of the month it was automatically paid off by the police, without checking whether it was for legitimate expenses,” he said. “When officers realised it was being automatically cleared they went ahead and made other purchases that were nothing to do with the police.”

He added that if Blair was not aware of the abuse, “he is displaying all the hallmarks of not being in charge of his force”.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Authority, which scrutinises the work of the force, said: “Auditors looking at use of corporate credit cards discovered there was loose processes or sloppy management in some areas. In some cases it did not appear there were proper controls over the way the cards were being used.”

The allegation comes as Blair is accused of misleading the public by claiming he continues to enjoy the “overwhelming support” of his rank-and-file officers over the de Menezes affair.

Blair told the London assembly he had received the written support of the Metropolitan Police Federation (MPF), which represents 30,000 officers.

Appearing before the assembly last Wednesday, he defied a vote of no confidence by telling members he had the backing of rank-and-file and senior officers.

“I have in written form the overwhelming support of the federation. The overwhelming support of the superintendents’ association,” he said. “My office has received a very large number of e-mails from staff.”

Senior figures at the MPF said they had watched his performance with “disbelief”. One said: “I can guarantee he has not got a letter or e-mail from the federation saying we support him. Of course we are angry. We feel we have been misrepresented.”

Additional reporting: Simon Alford

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