Riot police on patrol in Kent. Library picture

by political editor Paul Francis

pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk

Rioting in the Medway Towns and London has left Kent Police facing a million pound bill.

The force provided extensive support to the Met Police during disturbances across the capital in August at a cost of £866,000 - which it expects to recover in full.

In addition, the force racked up an overtime bill of £176,000 during the riots - money it will have to find itself.

Chief Constable Ian Learmonth told a meeting of the Kent Police Authority that Kent had played a significant part in supporting its colleagues in London, with up to three special teams of 27 officers sent to the capital for several days.He said:

"We sent three teams each day [to London] throughout the riots and on a couple of days we sent four. We also had to police the county and took a very robust approach early on. That did require keeping people on overtime and calling people in on their rest days and on leave."

The events in the Medway Towns saw relatively low levels of crime and disorder, much of which Kent Police blamed on outsiders.

Graham Hooper, the chief executive of Kent Police Authority, said: "When you get an big, unexpected bill, it is a challenge for the police authority but we have been reassured that a significant of the costs of more than £1m is likely to be recouped from the Met Police.

"To be fair to the Met, it made it quite clear at the outset that reasonable costs would be reimbursed."

He added: "This was an extraordinary set of circumstances and people understand that to meet the costs, whatever they might be, we have to sit down and discuss what contigency funds or reserves might be appropriate."