Pope’s visit to UK expected to cost taxpayer £12m

The cost of the Pope's visit to Britain this autumn has soared to more than £15 million, it emerged today.

Lord Patten, the Prime Minister's special representative for the papal visit, said the taxpayer would now contribute up to
£12 million of the total. He admitted the original estimate of £8 million had underestimated the "complexity and sophistication" of a visit combining state and church.

Security costs for policing the first visit by a pontiff to Britain since 1982 are expected to add millions to the overall bill.

The soaring cost of the trip by Pope Benedict XVI, pictured, is certain to attract criticism when government departments are cutting public services by up to 40 per cent.

Lord Patten said: "We now reckon that on the Government side that we will have to make a larger commitment even though we have driven down the costs of some elements of the visit."

His visit, from 16 to 19 September, has been mired in controversy since a leaked Foreign Office memo in April appeared to mock the Catholic Church.

The Foreign Office apologised over the "spoof" paper resulting from a brainstorming session which suggested the Pope could bless a gay marriage, launch a helpline for abused children or open an abortion clinic.

This weekend the Rev Ian Paisley, who has a history of denouncing the Catholic Church, said it was a "mistake" to invite the Pope to Britain because of the paedophile priest scandals.