Charlton Athletic Football Club will have to pay towards policing outside its ground if the Government changes current legislation.

The Metropolitan Police Service is reviewing all aspects of policing football matches, including staffing levels and the recovery of costs.

The Greater London Assembly has put forward a motion urging the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and British Transport Police to seek a new law to enable them to reclaim more of the costs of policing Premiership matches.

Under current legislation, clubs are only liable for the cost of policing within their grounds. Outside, the cost is borne by the police budget.

Mick Everett, Charlton Athletic FC's General Manager, said: "If we penalise football clubs, we would have to penalise the concert in Hyde Park and the Notting Hill Carnival.

"The police didn't recover their costs for those, so how far do you take it?"

He added: "This season we are paying the bulk of the cost inside the stadium. If the law changes, the decision on how many officers are at matches would have to be taken by the council and club, not just the police.

"If 500 officers were at every game, then every club would be bankrupt."

Sergeant Trevor Jenner, from Greenwich Police Station, said between 60 and 80 of his officers are on football duties at any given match, and about six British Transport Police officers are deployed at Charlton British Rail Station.

He added: "Police don't charge football clubs enough. This season we've increased our charge to Charlton, but they have countered and we don't know what the final cost will be."

Richard Sumray, chairman of the MPA's finance committee, said: "During the 2000/2001 season, policing football in London cost £7.4m, but only £1.6m was recovered to offset this." The Valley will be able to accommodate 26,500 fans from December 22, when refurbishment is completed.

November 13, 2001 17:30