Costs of policing frack site rise again

An aerial photograph of the Third Energy fracking site, on the edge of Kirby Misperton.

In the latest update on the costs of policing demonstrations at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire Police say they spent £48,101 in January - a total of £669,888 since last August.

The costs for the month are the lowest since they started being collated.

Last week Third Energy announced it was withdrawing equipment from the site, as a financial review of the business, ordered by the Government, “may take some time.”

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said the figures, which include overtime, travel costs and equipment, were down as “expected while Third Energy’s activity has been put on hold.”

Mrs Mulligan believes there should be mandatory financial contributions from fracking firms to pay for policing in a central pot managed by the Government.

Supt Alistair Dey, from North Yorkshire Police, said: “On many days in January, the only officers present at the site were a few police liaison officers, whose role it is to engage with the protest community. They were also redeployed back to their areas when there was no protest activity.”