Talking of wasting (taxpayers) money.....
I thought the previously reported rumour of £900 a shift to freelancers to fill in for unfilled posts on low salary directly employing police units was possibly a bit far fetched......
......It seems the truth is actually nearer £1100 a shift, paid by those same directly employing constabularies to the Companies that can provide floaters, to fill in for those vacant shifts. (unfilled presumably because those directly employing constabularies won't offer a decent wage to attract replacement pilots!)
Surely it must be cheaper for the taxpayer for those constabularies to pay a decent wage in the first place and not run light on staff!!