Climate protests have cost Essex Police £1m

Essex Police has admitted it deployed hundreds of officers and made 338 arrests over the course of seven days

Policing the protests organised by eco-zealots in Thurrock, Essex has cost Essex Police £1 million.

Last week, Just Stop Oil activists staged one more protest, gluing themselves to tanker lorries at Chafford Hundred, West Thurrock and the Purfleet Fuels Terminals causing disruption to roads and oil refineries.

The force has made 338 arrests in seven days.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet commented: “This has put a real strain on the force. One of the things I’m focussed on is what more the fuel companies can do to protect their infrastructure, perhaps using private security.

“We know the people of Essex would prefer officers to be able to focus on the job of stopping crime and arresting criminals and to be perfectly honest, so do I.

“To be clear, we are not in any way anti-protest; there is a right to protest but there is no right to commit crime.”

A few days ago, ELN reported how hundreds of climate activists blocked ten major oil terminals across the UK.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson told ELN: “We have enormous sympathy for the police who have a difficult job to do, with less budget than they need while having to enforce ever more draconian anti-protest laws.

“However, the government could sort this in an instant by making a meaningful statement that they will immediately end all new fossil fuel supply projects in the UK.”

Image: Essex Police

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