everything costs the police 200k

The No Dash For Gas power station protest continues to occupy the tops of chimneys at the new West Burton power station and looks set to last a full week as intended.

Paul Broadbent, Nottinghamshire police's assistant chief constable, said

That is already proving a drain on police resources – and if the current staffing levels are maintained day and night for the next week, that will cost in the region of £200,000 – excluding petrol, overtime payments, and other factors.

This is for a week's operation leading to 17 arrests.

The same constabulary dealt with the 2009 Ratcliffe on Soar power station protest - a six month run-up to deploying over 200 officers to make 114 arrests - yet that cost £208,000.

In these straitened times the police need to make cuts and increase efficiency, so how odd that they spend over seven times as much per arrest these days. Unless they're blatantly lying to discredit the protesters and detract from the politics of the situation.