Back in 2014, then-mayor of London Boris Johnson purchased three water cannons in order diffuse crowds in the case of riots. They were never used and cost taxpayers £320,000.
ADVERTISEMENTWater cannons purchased to control crowds under former mayor of London Boris Johnson have been sold at a major loss for just over £11,000 (€12,355).
The three water cannons, originally purchased for £320,000 (€359,421) from German police in 2014, have been sold for scrap to Nottinghamshire-based Reclamations (Ollerton) Ltd scrapyard in Newark.
Theresa May, then home secretary, banned the use of the cannons by police in England and Wales.
In a tweet on Monday, current London mayor Sadiq Khan shared his delight at managing to sell the unused machinery.
Khan said the vehicles were sold for £3,675 (€4,124) each after two years of failing to find a buyer, according to The Guardian.
He added: “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,” he told the paper.