Taxpayers £300k out of pocket as Johnson’s unusable water cannons get sent to the scrap heap

Boris Johnson’s infamous water cannons have been sent to the scrap heap at a cost of more than £300,000 to the taxpayer.

Sadiq Khan announced today that the water cannons have been sold to a firm which will dismantle them and export the parts, saying “we have finally managed to get rid of them”.

Johnson bought the machines from Germany in 2014, before Theresa May banned their use in riot situations when she was home secretary in 2015.

She later used the purchase to ridicule Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership race after David Cameron resigned.

The water cannons cost a total of £322,000 to purchase second-hand and over £50,000 was spent on extras such as low emission zone compliance, re-painting, signage, and the fitting of radios and CD players.

They have now been sold for just £11,025 to Nottinghamshire-based Reclamations (Ollerton) Ltd, who will dismantle them and export the parts.

Mr Khan said: “For too long, London taxpayers have had to bear the brunt of Boris Johnson’s appalling botched water cannon deal. This has been another waste of taxpayers’ money by Boris Johnson.

“Londoners continue to live with his vanity. I am pleased we have managed to finally get rid of them and I made an election promise to Londoners that I would claw back as much of this cash as possible, and pump it into helping young people at risk of being affected by crime and giving them better life opportunities.”

RELATED 

Security bolstered at Christmas markets across country in case of terror attack

UN warns of damage to “the fabric of British society” as the state turns on its people