Costs of police protest overtime revealed
The cost of the protest which took place in Cannock in March has finally been revealed in a new freedom of information request. In Overtime hours alone the protest cost close to £3000.
The protest took place in Cannock town centre in March this year where protesters called on the government to take a harder line on immigration specifically over the use of asylum seekers being placed at hotels in the town
In February, in a similar protest, around 140 protesters took to the streets in the march which ended in the town centre where they were greeted by counter protesters.
Police officers during the protest formed a barrier between the two groups of protesters to ensure that the protest remained peaceful.
The March protest saw anti Match of the day presenter Gary Lineker signs as well as Union and St George flags adorned on protesters said to be from the Patriotic Alternative group.
Lineker, at the time, was embroiled in a row at the BBC over a tweet over the government’s controversial small boats policy.
These protesters again were met by resistance from the Stand up to Racism group. On Twitter the group said: “Anti-racists in Cannock certainly ‘crashed’ far-right protest in Cannock today.
"Fascist Patriotic Alternative were opposed and campaigners stood in solidarity with Gary Lineker and said no to illegal Migration Bill.”
The cost of policing the protest in March was £2,803.25 overtime hours alone.
This figure does not include officers who were already on duty who had to be diverted from their duties elsewhere to man the protest.
