Police and crime commissioner demands extra funds to cover migrant landing costs

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire has accused the Home Secretary of failing to respond to her concerns about the landing of small boat migrants in the Portsmouth area as she revealed the cost of policing previous incidents had exceeded £800,000. A major incident was declared when violence broke out among protesters after more than 100 occupants of a small boat which had crossed from Normandy were brought to a jetty in the Eastney area of Portsmouth on September 6. A further protest was held in Gosport on September 22 after activist Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, went to sea to witness a migrant boat crossing with rumours being spread that the occupants would be taken to the Hampshire port before they were then taken to Dover. And another demonstration took place in Gosport on October 5 when a group of migrants was brought ashore by coastguard, lifeboat and border security staff. Police line up in Gosport as protestors gather following the arrival of a migrant boat. Credit: ITV Meridian Donna Jones, the Hampshire PCC, said that she had now written to Shabana Mahmood twice to raise her concerns about the suitability of Hampshire as a landing place and to demand funding to cover the cost of the policing operations. Ms Jones said: “After the first incident in September, I wrote to the Home Secretary outlining why Hampshire is not a suitable landing site and why Hampshire’s geography makes boat landings acutely dangerous. “I made clear the crossings will have an unsustainable impact on policing and communities. “To this date I have not heard from the Home Secretary or anyone in Government acknowledging the legitimate concerns I have raised. “I want to know what conversations or contact the Home Secretary has had with her counterpart, the French interior minister, specifically around additional French resources being deployed to prevent the Normandy-to-Hampshire route being used for crossings.” A damaged police car with a smashed windscreen at Eastney Point in Portsmouth following a protest Credit: Joe Sene/PA Describing the challenges faced by officers at the protests, she said: “These landings are having a huge impact on policing. The level of criminality is increasing. “At the most recent landing in Gosport, there were 12 arrests including four for assaulting a police officer and one for assaulting an emergency worker. “Those who were intent on preventing the landing blocked entry and exit routes to disrupt the emergency vehicles and coaches. “Officers were met with human blockades and improvised barricades. Tack and glass were placed on the ground to immobilise support vehicles. In addition, the police marine unit had to be deployed to stop small marine vessels attempting to reach the pontoon. “Reports have been received of bins being set on fire and some residents have reported feeling scared to leave their homes during the protest activity. “At all three events, officers were abused, assaulted and filmed, livestreamed on social media alongside assumptions about their motivations, when each and every one of those officers were deployed with an absolute commitment to upholding the law and keeping the peace. “The cost of the policing operation so far since the first small boat arrival in Hampshire is now over £800,000. “I have made a formal request to the Home Office for a full reimbursement and a commitment to reimburse all future deployments relating to small boat crossings, including protest activity. “The scale of the police response at short notice is not only impacting Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, but also the wider policing service as other forces are providing mutual aid. That’s resulting in their communities not receiving the service and protection they deserve either.” She added: “I once again call on the Government to ensure that landings on the Hampshire coast do not become a regular occurrence and that I am included in further meetings between the Home Secretary and ministers in order for me to fulfil my responsibilities on behalf of Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents.” A Home Office spokesman said: “There was no excuse for some of the thuggish, intimidatory behaviour we saw at some of these protests. “We thank the police for their response and will continue to work closely with them to ensure public safety is maintained. “The Government has established contingency plans to deal with small boat arrivals further along the coastline. “Over 50,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the election, and ongoing efforts to close every asylum hotel have saved British taxpayers more than £1 billion in asylum support.” Reporting History sees journalists join News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby to revisit their remarkable on-the-day reports of the defining events of the modern age. Listen to the episodes below...