Police forces have spent almost £470,000 on training courses run by a group dubbed a ‘left-wing Freemasons’.
Senior officers attended classes run by charity Common Purpose.
Its trustees include a co-founder of the group behind the Hacked Off campaign for Press reform.
The Metropolitan Police – which is leading investigations into alleged corruption and phone hacking at newspapers – has spent £60,000 on the leadership courses.
Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders, Chief Inspector of the CPS Michael Fuller and the Met’s top female officer, Cressida Dick, have all attended the £5,000 per week sessions.
Tory MP Philip Davies said: ‘Common Purpose is like a  left-wing version of the Freemasons.
'It’s a networking organisation for the great and good to advance their politically correct view.’
In the last six years, 22 forces have spent £467,547 on courses, Freedom of Information requests by the Sun on Sunday revealed.
The Met has spent £60,000 since 1999. Assistant Commissioner Dick attended while at Thames Valley Police, which spent nearly £28,000. The biggest spender was Police Scotland, at £94,595.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Police must be much clearer about what courses deliver.’
The charity’s website says it offers ‘inspiration, skills and  connections’. Its 35,000 graduates can stay in touch on a password-protected website, and attendees at alumni events are not allowed to reveal other guests’ identity.
In 2006, founder Julia Middleton and ex-chairman Sir David Bell founded the Media Standards Trust, which led to Hacked Off.
Common Purpose says it is a ‘transparent and successful  educational organisation’ with no involvement in the campaign for greater Press regulation.