School search cost police £1.2m

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Sussex Police has been landed with a £1.2m bill for its part in the search of an Islamic school in East Sussex.

Anti-terrorism officers raided the independent Jameah Islameah school at Mark Cross, near Crowborough, last month. No arrests were made.

The search took place at the same time as a series of raids in London in which 14 people were arrested.

The force has asked the Met, which was in charge of the 24-day operation, to reimburse it.

'Operational requirements'

Sussex Police provided a round-the-clock cordon at the 54-acre site from 1 September while Metropolitan Police officers conducted a search of the buildings and grounds.

A spokesman for the Sussex Police Authority said: "We provided mutual aid to the Met operation by maintaining a perimeter cordon over 24 days, the cost of which amounted to £1.2m.

"Under mutual aid arrangements, we are going to the Met to recoup the money.

"At the time the urgency was for the operational requirements rather than how much it was going to cost."

The Metropolitan force has not said whether it will reimburse Sussex Police.