A project by the Metropolitan Police to implement a human resources management application is running six months late and £10 million over its £38 million budget, according to a report in The Times.

The capital’s police force has sought legal advice on how to handle its contract with the supplier, French IT services company Steria, and Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson is in ‘crisis meetings’, the newspaper claims.

A report to the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) last year asserted that “in recognition of the size, complexity and risk” of the project, extra governance measures had been put in place to ensure success.

Since the story broke, the Metropolitan Police issued the following statement: "The original go-live date [for the project] was provisionally forecast to be December 2009 but the technology is not yet fully developed. Progress is on track with a revised go-live plan forecast to be the second half of 2010. The project plan has been fully discussed and agreed with all parties, including the MPA. The revised budget was agreed in 2009. The total programme will cost £48m delivering annual savings of £15m."

Steria has not commented on the project.

The UK’s new government is expected to axe a number of public sector IT projects this week, as Chancellor George Osborne reveals the details of a plan to cut £6 billion in spending.