South Yorkshire Mayor ‘confident’ investigation will uncover truth behind £65m missing from police budget

An investigation was launched in September, after it was revealed that significant accounting errors had led to a shortfall in funds within the former PCC budget.

Mr Coppard has ordered a comprehensive review of the financial practices within the former OPCC, which was merged into the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) earlier this year.

The £65 million in question relates to essential police equipment, including uniforms, vehicles, and IT systems, which are often financed through borrowing to help spread the costs over a longer period.

However, an audit by the mayor’s finance team following the merger revealed that £16 million in repayments had not been made, and an additional £49 million in future repayments had not been accounted for in upcoming budgets.

Mr Coppard has stressed his commitment to getting to the bottom of the issue, working closely with both the Government and relevant authorities.

Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said the deficit would affect the force's financial stability and the services it delivered.

A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority said: “The Mayor has commissioned a review into accounting practices of the former Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“We are gripping the issue, the work is underway, we continue to work with Government on this and we are confident the investigation will provide clarity on what happened.

“We will provide further information in due course.”