POLICE spent more than £300,000 to keep the peace between the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism when they held demos in Dudley last month.

West Midlands Police drafted in hundreds of extra officers to patrol the town during the protests on February 7, which resulted in 30 arrests.

The force has revealed that the total cost of the operation was £321,000, of which £147,000 was spent on mutual aid and £174,000 on opportunity and planning costs.

While the community has praised the force for the way it handled the event, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said he was disappointed that "such events divert resources away from community policing.”

He added: “Aside from the considerable cost, events like the one in Dudley make it much harder for us to deliver non-emergency policing during those periods.

“West Midlands has a duty to deliver policing for such events and it is our responsibility to keep the community safe."

Dudley Council also spent an estimated £25,000 following the return of the controversial protest group, to cover the frontline operation, including the provision and staffing of barriers and road closures.