THE bill taxpayers picked up after Tony Blair gave evidence at the Iraq inquiry for a single day was £273,000, it was disclosed yesterday.

Hundreds of police were on duty as protesters gathered outside the QE2 Conference Centre in Westminster.

The former prime minister infuriated demonstrators by slipping into the building at 7.15am before they had time to assemble. He left just six hours later by a side exit.

Protesters called for Mr. Blair to be charged with war crimes after the British-US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The total wage bill for police switched from other duties to guard Mr Blair was £178,000, said the Met Police. A further £61,000 was paid in overtime and £34,000 was eaten up by sundry costs including air support, barriers, transport, road signs and other equipment.

In all 657 officer shifts and 28 staff shifts were worked when Mr Blair was called to Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry on January 29. The costs were uncovered by questions under Freedom of Information Act.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “Any additional cost to the Met is minimal because the area around the centre forms part of the normal policing of the Government Security Zone.”

It also emerged yesterday that Mr Blair had a secret deal to act as adviser to a South Korean oil firm, the UI Energy Corporation. The firm has extensive interests in the US and Iraq.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said: “He gave a one-off piece of advice in respect of a project for UI Energy in August 2008.

“He sought, and received, approval from the advisory committee on business appointments before undertaking this project.” He said UI Energy had asked for an announcement of his involvement to be delayed for reasons of “market sensitivity”.

The spokesman refused to say what Mr Blair was paid. Tory MP Douglas Carswell said last night: “I think it’s disturbing that a former prime minister is in the pay of a foreign oil company.”

It was also claimed he will receive a £1million fee for working on a report on the future of the oil industry for the royal family in Kuwait.

Source: Express.co.uk