Taxpayers were left with a £172,000 bill for policing a 40-minute demonstration by the English Defence League, the YEP can reveal.
Concerns have been raised about the strain on the public purse following the rally in Dewsbury in June. It was the fifth demonstration in West Yorkshire since the EDL’s formation in 2009. A protest in Leeds in October 2009 cost £131,000 to police.
Kirklees Council leader Mehboob Khan said: “Forty minutes – that’s £4,300 a minute for policing. Every citizen has the right for their voice to be heard, but the EDL need to be aware that their demonstrations are taking money from essential frontline services at a time when the country is struggling. With £172,000 we could have kept two libraries open for a year.”