Double police killer’s Lancashire trial cost £5m.

The 30-year-old admitted killing Greater Manchester PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes in a gun and grenade attack during the lengthy Preston Crown Court trial.

Cregan later pleaded guilty to killing father and son David and Mark Short during the 17-week hearing which involved nine other men.

The high profile case, which also saw Cregan cleared of a final charge of attempted murder, has cost a total of £5.075m. with a major security operation put in place by Lancashire Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police.

Lancashire Police have been left with a £2.375m. bill and the GMP force will pay a further £700,000. Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw applied to the Home Office to secure a £2m. grant to shield tax-payers in Lancashrie from the burden of additional costs.

Mr Grunshaw thanked Lancashire residents for their patience and cooperation during the trial, saying: “There has been no escaping the major security operation which was put in place around Preston Crown Court by both Lancashire Constabulary and our colleagues at Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

“I must praise the professionalism of Lancashire Constabulary’s officers who were drawn from all over the county – along with their colleagues from GMP – to provide the additional policing required around the court during the lengthy case.

“It has been a costly operation and I have said all along I do not believe it is right for the people of Lancashire to foot the bill for this trial.”

Mr Grunshaw said that the Home Office grant will now cover £2m. in additional costs incurred by the two North-West police forces.

He said: “This means none of the costs of this trial will fall directly on Lancashire’s taxpayers.

“The only costs to Lancashire Constabulary are those incurred through officers being deployed to Preston Crown Court as part of their normal working duties, and therefore this has no detrimental impact on our budget.”

Mr Grunshaw said the county and its police officers had coped well with the large-scale high-security operation.

He offered condolences to the victims’ families, saying: “We hope the end of the trial and the sentencing of Cregan and his co-defendants will bring some closure, and allow them to begin rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of these tragedies.”