Extinction Rebellion: Summer protests cost Met £18m to police

The Met spent £18.1m on policing climate protests over August and September

Climate protests in London cost the Met Police over £18m to police.

Staff overtime to deal with15 protests cost the force over £4.5m between 23 August and 6 September, according to official figures published this month.

Across the protests, 508 people were arrested for offences including assaulting police and criminal damage.

When approached for a comment, the Met stuck by remarks made prior to the protest expressing frustration at the level of disruption.

• What is Extinction Rebellion and what are its aims?

At the time, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: "Each painstaking hour spent dealing with a protester who has committed criminal damage, glued or locked onto a road or business, is time spent away from the people of London, in the parts of London who need us most, dealing with knife crime, domestic abuse, violence.

"I want our police officers to be serving Londoners, fighting crime as well as bearing down on our number one priority, violence."

He added that while police acknowledged the group's right to protest it was "frustrating" that officers would be hindered in tackling priorities for the force.

During a summer of protest campaigners blocked Oxford Circus and a giant table was erected in Covent Garden.

Over 500 people were arrested over two weeks of protests across the capital

City Hall Conservative leader Susan Hall said the "ridiculous and disruptive" protest did "nothing to help the environment".

To cope with demand, 5,812 officers were forced to cancel leave and help keep watch on the protests, which cost £18.1m to police.

Another £1.6m was spent on additional costs which included hotels, catering, infrastructure, expenses and additional bank holiday pay, according to Met data.

Police were accused of heavy-handed tactics after officers were seen using batons and dragging protesters from the top of a bus near London Bridge.