Tommy Robinson Oxford Union visit cost police £100k

Tommy Robinson's visit to the Oxford Union cost Thames Valley Police about £100,000, the BBC can reveal.

The far-right activist - whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - took part in a debate about Islam last week, sparking widespread condemnation.

The force revealed it incurred £80,000 in "opportunity costs", which reflect the redeployment of officers and staff from other duties, and £20,000 in overtime, after the BBC submitted a Freedom of Information request.

Thames Valley Police said it was "not seeking to recover any of these costs" from the Oxford Union or any other agency.

The force initially refused to give the BBC the information on the basis "the disclosure... would not be in the public interest".

However, following correspondence from Matthew Barber, the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, they reviewed the original decision and relented.

In its revised response, the force said a headline figure could be provided, however, a detailed breakdown by specific resource type - such as specialist units, operational deployment, equipment or planning - is exempt for security reasons.

In response to being asked if the Oxford Union would reimburse any of the costs, the force said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm that it is not seeking to recover any of these costs from the event organiser or any other agency."

A spokesperson for Oxford City Council told the BBC: "We are working with a number of public institutions on recovering our costs from the Oxford Union as it is wrong that other organisations and the taxpayer should have to cover these costs."

Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, previously said the union should cover costs relating to policing and road closures for the event.

The Labour councillor had warned a "large-scale security operation" would cause "considerable disruption for local residents and businesses, and comes at a substantial cost".

"The Oxford Union must meet the full costs of staging their event, rather than leaving Oxford's taxpayers to pick up the bill," she added.

The BBC has approached the Oxford Union for comment.

About 200 protesters opposing the event took to the end of St Michael's Street where barriers had been put in place.

A smaller group gathered holding union flags - both were kept apart by a line of police officers.

Some businesses, including The Jolly Farmers Pub, closed ahead of the demonstrations.

The force previously said a 20-year-old man from Kent was arrested on suspicion of assault by beating.

Robinson's visit to the historic debating society came just over a month after he led thousands in a Unite the Kingdom rally in London on 16 May, which saw 43 people arrested and cost £4.5m.

The Oxford Union is a student society run completely independently of the University of Oxford, dating back more than 200 years.

It has a reputation for hosting controversial speakers - ranging from OJ Simpson, the now deceased former US American football star who was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife - to former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.

Indeed, Robinson gave a talk to an audience of 250 at the union as demonstrators gathered outside in 2014.