Sir – In Oxford, just gone midday on Saturday, a huge police presence was in town because of the football (Oxford v Bristol Rovers). It was pretty disconcerting to see so many — one group stood across the end of George Street, another large group stood forming a barricade around the restaurant by the rail station (the old White House pub) — there were very few football fans but it looked as if the police were expecting a riot.
Their presence was oppressive and slightly menacing and I wondered if it was really necessary? These huge numbers of police are bussed in specially and I would like to know how much is spent on the policing of events like these and who pays for it?
It’s so rare to see police, apart from a few PCSOs walking around and we are told this is due to budget limitations. It’s clear that this was a very costly police operation — do the residents of Oxford pay for this and, if so, why?
Julie Mitchell, Oxford
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