Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant'
19th July 2013, 10:34
The cost of policing English Defence League (EDL) demonstrations is causing "considerable concern", West Midland Police's commissioner has said.
Bob Jones spoke as the force prepared for the EDL's "extremely unwelcome" protest in Birmingham on Saturday.
The BBC has learned through a Freedom of Information request that policing EDL marches in England has cost more than £10m over four years.
The EDL's leader said his members were entitled to protest freely.
Tommy Robinson said: "We are not committing terrorism, all we are doing is protesting and voicing our concerns. There is no price you can put on democracy."
The EDL, which was founded in 2009, protests across the UK against "radical Islam".
West Midlands Police has spent more than £500,000 on multiple protests, which Mr Jones said was putting a strain on the force's budget.
Dozens arrested
"We find it grossly unhelpful that this group is coming to demonstrate here again. They are extremely unwelcome and it is likely to blow a very significant hole in the police budget," Mr Jones said.
"There will be over 1,000 officers mobilised and it's likely to be one of the largest and most expensive operations we mount this century.
"We've had significant reductions in our budget and policing these demonstrations is a significant cost and strain on our already stretched budgets," he said.
The BBC sent Freedom of Information requests to 37 police forces in England and received 17 responses.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68821000/gif/_68821637_cost_of_policing_464.gif
(BBC News - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23364013)
Bob Jones spoke as the force prepared for the EDL's "extremely unwelcome" protest in Birmingham on Saturday.
The BBC has learned through a Freedom of Information request that policing EDL marches in England has cost more than £10m over four years.
The EDL's leader said his members were entitled to protest freely.
Tommy Robinson said: "We are not committing terrorism, all we are doing is protesting and voicing our concerns. There is no price you can put on democracy."
The EDL, which was founded in 2009, protests across the UK against "radical Islam".
West Midlands Police has spent more than £500,000 on multiple protests, which Mr Jones said was putting a strain on the force's budget.
Dozens arrested
"We find it grossly unhelpful that this group is coming to demonstrate here again. They are extremely unwelcome and it is likely to blow a very significant hole in the police budget," Mr Jones said.
"There will be over 1,000 officers mobilised and it's likely to be one of the largest and most expensive operations we mount this century.
"We've had significant reductions in our budget and policing these demonstrations is a significant cost and strain on our already stretched budgets," he said.
The BBC sent Freedom of Information requests to 37 police forces in England and received 17 responses.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68821000/gif/_68821637_cost_of_policing_464.gif
(BBC News - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23364013)