A £2m expenses row has been sparked at Scotland Yard following the arrest of two senior police officers last night.

The pair were taken into custody last week in connection with an alleged expenses scam totalling millions of pounds. Senior Metropolitan Police officers carrying out royal protection duty and other high-profile work, were issued American Express credit cards to cover work- related costs, but may have taken advantage of the situation.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Authority told The Guardian: 'Auditors looking at use of corporate credit cards discovered there was loose processes or sloppy management in some areas. In some cases it did not appear there were proper controls over the way the cards were being used.'

Despite concerns being expressed by the force's internal auditors in 2004, £2m of expenses remain unaccounted for. The delay has been caused because of claims still rolling in from continuing police operations, generating a log jam of expenses.

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