Protests at the future Fracking site in Lancashire could cost police force "millions"
Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioners says policing the Preston New Road site is costing them "hundreds of thousands of pounds"
We can reveal it's already cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds to police the fracking protests on Preston New Road.
That's expected to rise into the millions when energy company Cuadrilla step up work at the drilling site next month.
The road keeps having to be closed for safety reasons during protests and Lancashire's Police and Crime Commisioner says the government should now be footing the bill.
Clive Grunshaw says they're having to send around 60 officers there every day - which he says is draining resources and stopping officers from fighting crime.
He has written to MPs and invited them to come and see the situation for themselves.
Clive Grunshaw says that they can't continue in this manner and says his officers "are caught in the middle."
Protests have been taking place on daily basis at the site on Preston New Road since January.
"I would argue the government are out touch with the consequences of their decisions. I think if they want Lancashire Police officers to pick up their mess, they should be the ones who are footing the bill" - Clive Grunshaw
Next week, anti-fracking campaign group "The Preston New Road Action Group" will go to court where a judge will hear their legal challenge - they're attempting to overturn the government's decision to approve shale gas drilling.
In October last year, the government reversed Lancashire County Council's decision to reject Fracking at the Preston New Road site in Little Plumpton.