If the Taxman didn't consider it a perk it would save £8million a year...

I think they do a great service and it should remain free. The operators should be encouraging it not charging for it. What would they do if trouble broke out; phone the police! Too many greedy money grabbers...

Seb, London,

To Larry (Amsterdam)

"Leave the Police alone, they do a great job..."

You're having a laugh mate. You obviously don't live in London. I've never seen a policeman on a train, let alone an off duty policeman "intervening". I guess that's why we all feel safe on the trains, lots of intervention.

Mo, Wembley, England

This is the only benefit police officers in London still get - we used to get considerably more but they were all cut to save money. As others have said, if this was to be cut as well then I'd have little choice but to leave the Met. What with the below inflation pay rise I can't afford the travel!

Ben, Sussex,

I work 12 hour shifts, and regularly intervene on trains. It can be very dangerous, nobody offers to help, and I have no equipment to assist me. I would still do this even if I was paying to use the train, as I did for six years before we were allowed to travel free.

shane, Dunstable, Beds

My wife is a police officer and travels via train to work in Met. On 3 occasions this year a guard has tannoyed for any police on a train to assist and she has turned up to help (without baton/spray or radio) .
Typical that bean counters are trying to cost/benefit analysis this "perk"

tom barnes, EASTBOURNE, sussex

Many intelligent comments here. The unpaid protection that off-duty officers provide to other passengers far exceeds any cost alleged by the companies. This policy was enacted to encourage officers to use mass transit. If it is withdrawn, many may well car pool or not intervene.

John, NJ, USA

Firemen, Doctors and Nurses all intervene while off duty, yet they dont get the free travel. Also in might be in the intrest of Londoners for its police office to live amongst us thus affording them some insight into the diversity of London. Police officers can claim 4 work done while of duty.

shola, London, UK

People feel more secure with a visible police presence.
Allow them to wear their uniform off duty, and free transport while in uniform, benefiting both them and us.
I think that would be a good compromise.

Rand Knight, Huntingdon,

I also am a serving police officer in the MET I travel from LUTON everyday, If the free travel is removed , I am another PC who will transfer to either BEDS or HERTS police. Speaking to colleagues nearly 70% will leave .

John simms, luton, beds

I am a Pc in the MET & yes its a good perk & does make my work & home life more affordable. No denying that. But off duty, too & from work in my own clothes with no police equipment or usually mobile signal. I intervene everytime which is my duty. I work for every penny the MET pays the train OP.

Pete, Sandy,

This perk is quite clearly a taxable benefit in kind & should be taxed accordingly as it would be for every other taxpaying member of the public.What else do they get?

peter, worthing,

It's a 'benefit in kind', they should be taxed on free rail travel just like everyone else would be if they received it by virtue of their employment.

Martin, Reading , UK

If it is withdrawn I would be leaving the Met to go to a county force very quickly. It would cease to be commercially vaible for me to travel on the train into London and I would have to think about withdrawing my labour from London and going elsewhere. I expect many of my colleagues to do the same.

Alastair Adams, Worcester Park,

If the alternative is to charge travel operators in a similar to football clubs for a police presence & they were actively sued by victims of crime for failing to provide a safe environment, I'm sure they would let this go. Whatever the cost it's a small price to pay for consumer confidence.

paul smith, london,

Of course the Police should have free travel. This is more of the NuLabour 'fairness for everyone' rubbish; is it petty and stinks of 'me to'. Leave the Police alone, they do a great job, a free travel pass is drop in the ocean compared with Northen Rock, Bradford & Bungley et al.

Larry, Amsterdam, NL

If they're not actually buying a ticket then it doesn't cost anyone. The train is running anyway and all that can be claimed here is that there's a policman's bum on a seat that could have been occupied by a fare-paying passenger, so the loser is the train operator, and who cares about them?

Chris, Derby,

If they are really working while enjoying their free travel how come there is so much graffiti on London trains?

Barrie Redfern, Zdole, Slovenia

Surely the cost should be assessed in marginal terms, eg virtually zero or even a benefit if the 'free' security is factored in,
Do the trains turn away any fare paying travellers to make room for pc's?

James Kay, burnley,

How much money do they save by reduced paper work, which would have been needed for expense claims? I bet it's more than £24m. You really need to think these things through.

Charles Bockett-Pugh, Sandhurst,

We can't say we are off duty - we have to get involved regardless of being off/on duty.

I use it both on and off duty. If it was taken away, my application would be in for a county force fairly quickly and I'd work somewhere nearer to home.

Ollie, Hertfordshire, England

The train company is stupid it cost them noting to do this and they get benfits why are they charging in the first place, it just shows how bad this country is when a train company puts profits before peoples saftey.

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

The police should pay,as when theres incidents on the trains, some just dont want to help, they just say "im off duty", yet rail staff have to pay for tickets to go to work , if they work in london for example.!!
They should pay, simple as that!!!

franco, northants, england

Perhaps ATOP should be charged by the Met every time one of their officers travels on the trains - it seems that the security of passengers is enhanced, a duty of care owed by ATOP to its customers.

Bill Q, Derby,

Maybe the high cost of travel should be under investigation not the cost of the police passes. The same agreement in any other European capital would have been half the cost

stanley, London,