A FORMER Bournemouth MP said the police response to the Bournemouth protests was an “appalling waste of resources and manpower.”

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Sir Conor Burns said having officers from five forces was disproportionate to the number of people who turned up to the anti-immigration and counter-protests that took place in Bournemouth on August 18.

Sir Conor said: “If the presence of all of those officers was deemed necessary due to intelligence, then the intelligence was badly wrong.

“I wonder if certain people get caught up in the drama of a local area being able to participate in a national controversy.

“What we do know is that there was not a strong protest in numbers, either from the so called far right or the so-called anti racism group.”

He added: “What we had is a lot of officers deployed who then were able to shove off for the rest of the day.”

Sir Conor commented on how he felt the police presence ‘pumped up’ the public and media's attention, feeding the narrative that Bournemouth was going to be a place of unrest.

“Bournemouth appeared to be the latest flashpoint in these demonstrations and riots,” added Sir Conor.

Dorset Police responded to these views, saying that the protests on Sunday, August 18, drew crowds of around 150 people on both sides and that, therefore, the police's response was warranted to protect members of the public.

Assistant chief constable Mark Callaghan of Dorset Police said:  “We received information before the date about the protests that were being already widely publicised on social media, which was kept under constant review, and we liaised with both organisers.

“As we have sadly seen in many other areas, the presence of counter-protesting groups has sometimes led to violence and disorder.  “Thankfully, the protests in Bournemouth remained static, peaceful and lawful with no reports of disorder or any arrests made.”

Dorset Police said residents voiced concerns over their own safety as a direct result of the protests and, therefore, decided to deploy a “reassuring presence.”

Mr Callaghan added: “Our overall aim is always to protect the public; prevent crime and maintain peace and I am pleased that we were able to do this during the protests.”