BBC: Balcombe fracking protests cost Sussex Police £4m, PCC reveals

Nearly £4m was spent on policing demonstrations at the site of exploratory drilling in West Sussex, the area's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has revealed.

Fracking protesters from around the country gathered at Balcombe during the summer as energy firm Cuadrilla carried out test drilling for oil.

More than 1,000 people set up camp at the height of the protests in August.

PCC Katy Bourne said she had applied to the Home Office to recover the costs.

She said the final overall cost of policing the protests, including normal police salaries, was £3.985m.  MORE