THE cost of policing last month's protests on the streets of Wealdstone came to almost £200,000, it has been revealed.

The Met's public order policing teams were on hand to prevent serious trouble as anti-Islam and anti-Fascist protesters organised simultaneous demonstrations outside Harrow Central Mosque on September 11.

Figures obtained from the police show £153,000-worth of resources were diverted to Harrow that day, with officers taken away from regular duties to cover the protests.

Another £25,000 was incurred by the police to draft in officers on overtime, as hundreds of people under the Unite Against Fascism (UAF) banner filled Station Road outside the mosque.

And £18,000 had to be shelled out for transport costs, catering costs, erecting barriers to contain the protests, road closures, and to pay for specialist equipment where necessary.

UAF organised its protest to counter the threat of a group called Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) holding a staunchly anti-Islam demonstration outside the mosque on the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Groups of predominantly young Asian men chased the handful of SIOE members who turned up away from Wealdstone, then took their anger out on the police.

Officers in riot gear were pelted with stones, sticks, bottles, and firecrackers as tensions boiled over and sections of the UAF protest began marauding around the streets in packs.

SIOE is now threatening to hold another protest outside the Harrow mosque on December 13, with UAF saying they will counter any actions by anti-Islamic groups with a counter-protest.

The police will be duty bound to police any event, although moves are afoot among senior politicians to try to ban the SIOE protest.