A LEADING councillor has reiterated calls for December protests in Harrow to be called off to save thousands of pounds of public money.

Councillor Susan Hall was speaking after it was revealed policing for last month's protests outside Harrow Central Mosque cost £196,000.

This bill included more than £140,000 worth of police resources being drawn away from regular duties, and £25,000 in officer overtime.

Cllr Hall, deputy leader of the council, said: “One of the forgotten issues of free speech is that somebody has to pick up the tab - in this case, ordinary London residents.

“The involvement of council staff safely pushes the whole cost for September 11 past the £200,000 mark.

"While the Unite Against Fascism and the Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) movements may view Harrow as some kind of convenient away day fixture, I suspect law abiding residents in the borough are far from prepared to underwrite the whole exercise again in December.

"I hope that the SIOE comes to the view it has already had its say in Harrow and calls this demonstration off - so cancelling out the appearance of its equally unwelcome Unite Against Fascism."

At present, both groups are planning to demonstrate again outside the mosque, in Station Road, on December 13, and police and council will face another hefty bill if they do go ahead.

However, moves are afoot to try to cancel the SIOE protest.

Tony McNulty, MP for Harrow East, met with Home Secretary Alan Johnson on Tuesday to discuss the matter, and has arranged for a delegation from the borough to meet Mr Johnson to outline the case for banning the protest, which they argue is costly, unnecessary, and provocative.

When the Harrow Times broke the news of the possibility of a protest being blocked, Stephen Gash, head of SIOE in Britain, retorted that if the demonstration was banned then his organisation would no longer be responsible for the consequences of a spontaneous protest.

He argues an organised SIOE protest would comply with police guidelines and would be peaceful, but he could not guarantee the same could be said for an unorganised, spontaneous protest.