Private Police

Virgin Media offered the Metropolitan police a 25% share of compensation recovered from fraudsters the company had targeted in a private prosecution, in which the Met used its powers of arrest and search as part of the private prosecution. The case began in 2008, and centred on set-top boxes being imported into the UK which gave access to Virgin services without the company being paid any fees. Virgin Media estimated the fraud cost it £144m a year and decided on a private prosecution. It is believed that the CPS, which usually brings criminal suspects to court, was not approached. The company enlisted the Met's help "for the arrests and obtaining search warrants".

The lord chief justice Thomas, sitting with Mr Justice Foskett and Mr Justice Hickinbottom, said the agreement between Virgin and the Met risked damaging the police's reputation for independence. He said: "It did in fact provide an incentive for the police to devote resources to assisting Virgin in their claim for compensation.” The most senior judge in England and Wales also warned about the possible dangers of more prosecutions being privatised as state funding is being cut for both the police and Crown Prosecution Service, writing: "There is an increase in private prosecutions at a time of retrenchment of state activity."

Labour MP Tom Watson said: "This sounds like emerging two-tier policing where corporate interests can buy the time of the police, leaving those who can't offer remuneration losing out. This is creeping privatisation with big business hiring police powers."

Jenny Jones, London assembly member for the Green party, said: "I hate the thought that if you are rich you can buy more justice that if you are poor. It's private policing. Paid work could take priority over other very important crime. Police were not out catching other criminals."