RIOTING, looting and civil disorder cost West Mercia Police and the taxpayer £250,000, a report shows.

The unprecedented national demand for extra police officers working 12-hour shifts without rest days in August boosted the cost of tackling problems – all sparked by the death of Mark Duggan in London on Thursday, August 4.

The money will be repaid to the force, albeit by the Government, which means the taxpayer will foot the bill.

Chief Constable David Shaw told members of West Mercia Police Authority that the force’s response, both by officers and staff, had been “outstanding”.

He said there were 20 arrests across the force area, but the worst incidents were the torching of two police cars, including one at Warndon police post in Cranham Drive, Worcester.

Mr Shaw said: “We made arrests, but we did not see any real sense of civil disorder taking place on our streets. I think that is credit to both the young people in this area and our robust policing.”

Many arrests were for people inciting trouble on social networking sites, including the high-profile case of Johnny Melfah, who was the first youth to be named in court following the rioting, after a Worcester News legal challenge.

West Mercia’s report into Operation Denver states the force supplied several specially-trained police support units (PSU) in a “high-profile policing operation”.

The force is duty-bound to provide up to five riot-trained PSUs. Neighbouring West Midlands Police asked for, and got, two West Mercia units to back up its operations until mid-August.

Four PSUs were also deployed within West Mercia to tackle disorder as and when it happened.

Between August 12 and August 15, all police leave was cancelled and officers worked 12-hour shifts.

The report states those officers’ performance “was the subject of positive commendation from their host commanders”, and Mr Shaw heaped further praise saying that the force’s officers seemed better trained than some other forces’ back-up contingents.

Mr Shaw said that the force deployed 480 officers “over and above” what was normal, saying “at no time was there any sense we could not cope”. He said although social media had got bad press, it had also been used by the force to scotch rumours.