The Metropolitan Police has received permission to purchase three water cannon for London, BBC reported.
Stephen Greenhalgh, deputy mayor for policing and crime, authorised the force to buy the cannon from the German Federal Police.
The mayor’s office said: “By purchasing them now we are able to save over £2.3m compared to buying new devices.” The water cannon will not be deployed until the home secretary authorises their use in England and Wales.
In a statement, the mayor’s office said purchasing the cannon now for just over £218,000, before Theresa May approves them, meant they could be bought at a “considerably reduced rate”.
The cannon will be purchased for £30,000 each, as opposed to the cost of a single new one at £870,000.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are keen to ensure that the police have the tools and powers they need to maintain order on our streets.”
It said Chief Constable David Shaw, as the national policing lead, had written to the home secretary to request water cannon be authorised for use by the police in England and Wales and Ms May was considering the request.
The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said that each cannon had a life-expectancy of five years, or longer with good maintenance, and if approval was not given by Ms May, then they could be re-sold.