Ipswich Town has paid Suffolk Constabulary nearly £700,000 to police games over the past four seasons.

According to the constabulary’s figures the average annual cost to the club of having officers at matches during 2013/14 and 2014/15 was £196,000.

The figures do not account for the total cost of policing games, but are the proportion paid by Ipswich Town.

Explaining how the costings are worked out a police spokesman said: “Intelligence is gathered for each home match in conjunction with Ipswich Town FC, the visiting team, their home police force and Suffolk Constabulary.

“The game is then assessed based on the information received and graded in accordance with this.

“Ipswich Town FC will then make a request to Suffolk Constabulary if the grading dictates that the match needs to be policed and the appropriate level of officers are agreed and supplied. The club are then charged a rate per officer in line with national police guidelines.”

In June this year it emerged the club is suing Suffolk Constabulary for £511,869 between 2008 and 2013 claiming it was illegally over-charged for policing on match days.

This accounts for a drop in what it paid for 2012/13 when the issue was raised. During that season the figure the constabulary received from the club was £103,742. The previous year it paid £184,516.