Hertfordshire Police have spent more than £300,000 paying police informers in the last five years, a Freedom of Information request has found.
The force were unable to provide details of what they payments were for incase they endangered their informants.
Cambridge News report:
Newly released figures showed that on average more than £60,000 is spent every year on covert human intelligence sources – the police term for informers – adding up to more than £300,000 over the last five years.
The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed that in 2009-10 Herts police paid out more than £80,000.
Paul Ealham, director of intelligence at Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: “All informants have to be risk assessed and fully documented, and must only be used when it is considered proportionate and necessary.