ESSEX Police has announced that its operation to keep order and free blocked public roads as a protest by the JustStopOil group in Thurrock enters its second week has cost £1 million.

A statement from the force issued this morning (Friday, 8 April) says: Officers have been working round the clock for the last week as we continue to deal with a number of protests in the Thurrock district.

"Today marks one week since the beginning of the protests.

"So far, we have made 270 arrests in connection with the protests.

"Overnight, our officers made two further arrests in the Thurrock district while, early this morning, a group of protesters arrived in London Road, Purfleet.

"We are currently in the process of making 65 additional arrests.

"Throughout these incidents, officers have continually dealt with the challenging situation in a fair and balanced way, and we must thank our communities for their understanding and patience."

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet praised the commitment of officers involved in the operation for the last seven days and also paid tribute to the ongoing work with our partner such as Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service and Essex County Fire and Rescue service.

He also said Essex Police is working closely with the local fuel distribution companies and strongly encouraging them to reinforce their security plans at each site.

He said: "First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to the officers who have responded around the clock to these incidents.

"Their commitment has allowed us to maintain a 24/7 presence in the area throughout the last week. This has not eliminated the disruption but has kept it to a minimum. Fuel transportation has continued and there is no need for any panic buying.

"This has put a real strain on the force. One of the things I'm focussed on is what more the fuel companies can do to protect their infrastructure, perhaps using private security.

"If those measures are put in place, policing can deal with these incidents quicker and further reduce the disruption being caused.

"We know the people of Essex would prefer officers to be able to focus on the job of stopping crime and arresting criminals and to be perfectly honest, so do I.

"To be clear, we are not in any way anti-protest; there is a right to protest but there is no right to commit crime."

So far, policing the protests in Thurrock has cost Essex Police in excess of £1 million.