£5.5m paid towards costs of policing Fairford during war

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Thursday 4th Mar 2004.

THE Government has agreed to pay the bulk of the cost of policing RAF Fairford during the Iraq war according to Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.

Having provided the Gloucestershire Constabulary with special grants of £1.25 million, the Government has now approved a further grant of £5.5 million.

Home Office minister Hazel Blears said: "We fully appreciate that the policing of RAF Fairford imposed a significant burden on the Gloucestershire Constabulary.

"This was a major operation and a job well done."

Payment of the £5.5 million will be spread over two years.

It was originally estimated by the force that it would cost £4.2 million to police the airbase, but this quickly rose to £7.8 million.

Mr Clifton-Brown said: "The costs caused a great deal of bad feeling in Gloucestershire, which had to put up with the disruption caused by the war. Now the burden on local council taxpayers will be radically reduced."

l Last week a group of anti-war protesters won a High Court battle over a police decision to detain them while on their way to RAF Fairford for a demonstration.

The court ruled that police were abusing their powers when they escorted three coaches back to London, but right to prevent them from attending an anti-war protest.

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