Robbery and burglary rose while police were tied up with protests against the war with Iraq.

Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Peter Neyroud said efforts to reduce crime had been hampered by the number of officers prevented from carrying out their normal duties.

He said the war had cost the force more than £1m.

Officers' time was taken up policing anti-war protests, by a terror alert along the Heathrow flightpath, escorting the transport of weapons and protecting military bases.

The largest anti-war demonstrations in the Thames Valley were in Oxford, which gained additional officers to police protests.

Thames Valley Police has asked the Home Office for a full refund, claiming its annual budget was for cutting crime and improving the service offered to the community.

TVhe force is waiting to hear if it will receive £750,000 -- the cost of Operation Laurel, the national operation to prevent disorder during the Iraq war.

It has so far received £457,000 for Operation Garretted, an operation to counter a perceived threat to aircraft along the Heathrow flightpath, from the Government's counter-terrorism fund.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary has received a general request for assistance from Thames Valley, which is being considered."

Thousands of hours of overtime were carried out and Mr Neyroud said policing surrounding the Iraqi war seriously affected performance towards the end of the year to April 1.

"We just didn't have the level of resources on the ground that we normally have," he said.

"It certainly made a difference with the robbery figures. We were going to close the year 20 per cent down on last year."

He said the force had expected to have similar burglary figures to 2001-2002, but finished with a three per cent increase.