Kent’s police and crime commissioner has said he is “delighted” with the government’s decision to reimburse the £1.2m it cost to police the disruption in the region last Christmas, when France’s border closure saw thousands of HGVs stranded on roads and lorry parks.
As the number of HGVs waiting to cross the channel reached as high as 14,500, Kent Police turned to help from other police forces, including Hampshire, Leicestershire and West Mercia. A number of officers also had to work overtime during the disruption. In addition, Kent Police say they spent extra funds on providing hot meals to drivers.
It estimated these measures cost the region’s police force upwards of one million pounds.
Matthew Scott, Kent’s police and crime commissioner, said he was pleased that ministers had agreed to cover the aforementioned costs:
“I am delighted that the Government has provided this funding to Kent. I have always believed that the costs of policing national issues should be met centrally, not just by Kent council tax payers. I am pleased that ministers have agreed to this request.”
The UK’s Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, also agreed before Christmas to provide Kent Police with an additional £20 million to cover costs related to its role in managing the implementation of the new agreements in place post-Brexit.
Since then, local authorities in Kent have implemented a strict HGV parking ban, fined hundreds of drivers for not having a Kent Access Permit, and clamped over 500 HGVs.
Photo credit: Kent Police