A RALLY by a far right group which attracted just over 80 people was policed by 800 officers at a cost to the taxpayer of at least £300,000, it has been revealed.

New figures, released after a Freedom of Information request to West Yorkshire Police, show the full scale of the police operation when the English Defence League protest took place last month in Bradford city centre.

Thirteen police forces provided assistance on the day, and the policing effort included 45 West Yorkshire Police vehicles.

From that total of 800 officers on duty, 625 were on patrol and the rest were working back office and in support roles.

Reaction to the numbers has been mixed, with one Labour councillor saying it was better to be safe than sorry, and the leader of the local Conservative party calling it an "over-reaction."

The T&A also asked for costs for policing the event, dubbed Operation Summerfield, and although the force said the total cost was not finalised yet, and overtime requests hadn't been processed, the estimated cost was £300,000, although another recent protest in West Yorkshire cost around £750,000.

Held on November 14, the rally saw just over 80 members of the far right group descend on Bradford city centre. They were ushered from Bradford Interchange to a fenced off area at Norfolk Gardens, near Bradford City Hall, and did not come into contact with the public at any point. Hall Ings was closed for the duration of the rally.

A counter protest held on the other side of the police barricade passed peacefully.

The gathering, which lasted a little over an hour, was timed to coincide with the start of a trial that saw 13 Asian men from the Keighley area accused of raping a vulnerable girl when she was 13 and 14. The case ended with ten of the men being found guilty of rape. They are yet to be sentenced.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the number of officers, made up of 25 police support units, was down from previous rallies in the city. Similar demonstrations in 2013 and 2010 saw over 1,000 more officers deployed than last month's rally, with 65 support units at each demonstration.

Councillor Simon Cooke, leader of the Conservatives on Bradford Council, said: "It is my view that we over-react to groups like the EDL.

"You get nowhere near the amount of police at Bradford City games, even against teams that have a bit of a reputation.

"Police knew it was only going to be a few people showing up, so with that intelligence I think it is a complete over-reaction. You had this little fenced off area surrounded by legions of police."

Nick Smart, Chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, was working in Bradford on the day, and said: "You need a lot of officers for a day like this. It is a very resource intensive job.

"Our main concern is that we make sure the citizens of Bradford are not overly impacted and that they are safe if there are any outbreaks of public disorder.

"It is a democracy and these protests can take place. It is better to have more officers than too few. If the police reduced the numbers of officers covering this by a significant amount and something happened then we would be heavily criticised. The public expect us to keep them safe, that is our duty.

"I am sure that in the future the same format will be followed. It costs a lot of money but you have to weigh that against public safety."

Earlier this month Councillor Sinead Engel, (Labour, Clayton and Fairweather Green) raised the issue of the high costs of policing such demonstrations when she put forward a motion suggesting the council look at ways of stopping groups with "non-peaceful" intentions from demonstrating in the district.

After being told about these figures, she said: "I do think it is better to be safe than sorry. The scars of the riots of 2001 are still etched on this city, but we have come a very long way since then. That all started with a few people inflaming things.

"The EDL said they were here to protest paedophile gangs, but if they hadn't come, these hundreds of officers could have been out stopping crimes and catching perpetrators."

Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns Williamson was unavailable for comment, but has previously said he would try to reclaim costs of policing such rallies from the Home Office.

Nine people were arrested on the day, four by West Yorkshire Police in the city centre and five by British Transport police as they made their way home.

Of the four arrested in the city centre, a 50 year old man was arrested on suspicion of acts which could stir up racial hatred, and was bailed until the new year. Another 50 year old was arrested for possession of class B drugs, but no further action was taken. A 20 year old was also arrested for possession of class B drugs and was given a conditional caution, and a 29 year old was arrested for a breach of the peace. No further action is being taken against him.