Police chief demands Shabana Mahmood end small boat landings in Portsmouth and Gosport as she reveals £800,000 cost to protect town against unrest

A police chief has urged Shabana Mahmood to end small boat landings in Portsmouth and Gosport after revealing an £800,000 bill to deal with protests.

Donna Jones said repeated demonstrations against the arrival of Channel migrants had placed significant strain on police resources.

The police and crime commissioner for Hampshire has now asked the Home Office to reimburse the full cost and ensure the landings 'do not become a regular occurrence'.

Mrs Jones said she had received no response to an initial letter sent after the first incident on September 6, when hundreds of protesters blocked roads in Portsmouth in a bid to stop coaches carrying 140 migrants from leaving the city.

Just over two weeks later, masked protesters descended on Gosport marina after reports that migrants were due to be brought ashore there. Tensions flared again on October 4 when 149 migrants were brought into the town aboard two RNLI lifeboats after a 70-mile journey from Normandy.

Mrs Jones is now seeking details of discussions between the Home Secretary and the French interior minister, particularly over whether additional French resources will be deployed to prevent crossings along the increasingly used route from Normandy to Hampshire.

The Tory politician said the landings were having a 'huge impact' on policing.

'At all three events, officers were abused, assaulted and filmed, live streamed 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,' she said. 

'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.'

'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.'

Mrs Jones claimed the protests were becoming increasingly violent. 

'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,' she said. 

'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.

Several people have been sentenced for their roles in the unrest.

Del Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, was sentenced to two years in prison for violent disorder. Deano Ryan and Justin Dixon, 22 and 50 respectively, both received suspended sentences for the same charge.

Yesterday, Shannon Dodds, 32, and Sally Pearson, 31, were also handed suspended sentences after admitting assaults on police officers.

Amid growing unrest in the local area, children of RNLI lifeboat volunteers are said to have faced bullying because of their parents' involvement in rescuing migrants. 

The claims were raised at a Portsmouth City Council debate about recognising the RNLI with the Freedom of the City honour.

A letter to the council said two crew members' children had been targeted at school because their fathers were involved with the charity.

Volunteers said they had been confronted in public, while crew members' names were published online and suspicious vehicles were seen parked near the station.

The volunteers were branded as 'traitors' and some had their details published online. 

Another lifeboat station in Portsmouth was forced to close temporarily due to threats. 

RNLI volunteers have been advised to stop wearing their badges in public to avoid confrontations with anti-migrant protesters.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, who proposed the motion alongside Councillor Billy Ansell, told the meeting he was 'deeply concerned about the abuse, intimidation and threats' directed at the RNLI.

He said the council should 'express its unequivocal support' for the charity, which has spent 200 years saving lives at sea.

Councillor Ansell said volunteers responded to emergencies without asking about a person's nationality, religion or politics.

He added that disagreements about immigration and border controls did not justify hostility towards lifeboat crews.