A police chief has hit out at the rising cost of policing an anti-fracking protest site.
Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said the sum to date was £660,000 and he predicted the figure could increase to up to £1 million.
He said an added impact of sending officers to the camp in Barton Moss, near Salford, was that it was diverting manpower from crime investigations and patrol beats.
Arrests have been made regularly at the camp since November as protesters have attempted to disrupt operations at the scene between Barton Aerodrome and the M62.
Energy company IGas was granted permission for exploratory gas drilling at the site and said it is seeking methane and shale gas.
It is due to complete the drilling by the end of March. Sir Peter said: “The cost of this operation is met from our normal budget and means that officers on duty at this protest are not patrolling their beats or carrying out operations to investigate crime.
“We have to be there to ensure the protest is peaceful and to balance the rights of the protesters and those wanting to carry out drilling on the site which are both lawful activities. The police are stuck in the middle.
“For all the hundreds of hours of policing we have received only 21 complaints, five of which are from the same person. We take this seriously and will investigate any complaints thoroughly.
“We appreciate the strength of feeling of the protesters and that drilling for gas is a matter of national debate. We deal with many protests in Greater Manchester and always try to negotiate an understanding which facilitates protest which is a basic human right.
“On the other hand we are disappointed that some at the site constantly try and provoke officers and are personally insulting to them. We will continue to expect the highest standards of restraint and patience from our officers but also ask the public to appreciate the difficult position they have been put in.”
Environmentalists claim there is indisputable evidence that fracking causes air and water pollution and leads to earth tremors. The Government and industry say it is safe and will create jobs.
Fracking involves the fracturing of rock with a pressurised liquid to release shale gas, with potentially vast reserves untapped across swathes of the UK.
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