Bid for help in BNP police costs

Derbyshire Police is to ask the Home Office to help meet the cost of policing the three-day BNP festival which was held at the weekend.

The force has estimated the operation cost about £500,000 and involved more than 500 officers.

The BNP's 10th annual Red, White and Blue festival was held in Codnor.

Officers made a total of 19 arrests after a protest by about 1,500 people against the event. Four people were later charged.

'Financial strain'

Three were charged with public order offences and a fourth with unlawfully obstructing the highway.

The protesters were watched by an aerial camera mounted on a remote-controlled drone. Some officers were drafted in from other counties.

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police said the estimated cost of the whole operation was about half a million pounds and the force would be asking the Home Office to assist in some way.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Office can provide funding for forces through special grants for unforeseen operations and events that put a financial strain on forces, potentially undermining financial planning for those forces.

"The basis for providing special grants is centred on financial criteria only."