Britain and Mauritius deny reports the cost of Chagos Islands deal has doubled

FILE PHOTO- An undated file photo shows Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain in 1966/File Photo

LONDON/PORT LOUIS (Reuters) -Britain and Mauritius denied on Wednesday media reports that London could end up paying double the amount in a renegotiated deal to retain a U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Stephen Doughty, a British Foreign Office minister, told parliament that reports in the media that the cost of payments to retain the base could rise from 9 billion pounds ($11.29 billion) to 18 billion pounds were "categorically untrue".