More than $200,000 was spent bringing overseas witnesses to Bermuda for high-profile court cases, new figures reveal.

After a string of major trials on the Island, Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton said the bill paid for a host of foreign medical and technical experts who were needed to give evidence.

?The drugs conspiracy trial of Stamp and Hollis required eight witnesses from the USA and Honduras to appear in Bermuda,? Mr. Horton told the House of Assembly.

And he added that witnesses had been flown over from the UK, America, Canada and the Caribbean for other trials when requested by the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

?By early January costs had exceeded $180,000 and the Cooper twins trial added a further $30,000 to costs. The present budget is $145,000 and an additional funding of $65,000 is required.

?These costs are largely out of the control of the Police as we are subject to the directions of the court and the DPP to make certain witnesses available.?

The figures were revealed when Government departments outlined how much they had overspent compared to last year?s budget estimates. The Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety asked for nearly $4 million extra after $96 million was set aside in 2005/6. As well as the rising cost of court experts, the bulk of the overspend was eaten up by pay awards and Police overtime costs.

Mr. Horton said the cost of Police overtime last year was estimated at $4.8 million compared to the budgeted total of $3.7 million, which is nearly ten per cent of the total Police payroll costs.

Savings from ongoing staff vacancies in the Bermuda Police Service would fund about $850,000 of this shortfall, meaning an extra $250,000 was requested as a supplementary estimate.

The Minister said that it was difficult to predict some of the events that required large numbers of officers.

Overtime was paid when officers work rest days or extended their shifts by more than four hours, and Mr. Horton accepted that the number of vacancies in the service ? which the House heard now stood at about 40 ? meant that the need for cover had helped boost the overtime bill. Meanwhile, just over $2 million was requested to cover a backdated pay award negotiated with the Prison Officers? Association last October, the figures revealed.

This covered October 2004 to September 2006, providing an extra 4.25 per cent in the first year and four per cent in the second. Mr. Horton said there was a shortfall of $922,000 because rises of 3.5 and 3.75 per cent were budgeted for.

This prison award also included a payment to end the ?unsociable hours? element of the previous agreement. This was paid up to September 2005, included 44,062 hours at a cost of $1.2 million.

A further $1 million extra was spent on prison officers? overtime.

Mr. Horton said: ?The overtime increase is due to an approximate five per cent vacancy rate inclusive of promotion vacancies, increased training, high-profile court escorts requiring 24-hour coverage and continued high and protracted sick leave.?

It also emerged that part of a $25,335 overspend on professional services was to help football clubs boost Police coverage at flashpoint matches.