KowalskiL A TOTAL of 240 police officers were required to maintain order at the recent loyalist band parade through Rasharkin.
The figure was revealed by Ballymoney PSNI Area Commander, Chief Inspector John Magill, at a meeting of the District Policing Partnership on Thursday afternoon.
Members quizzed the police chief over the number of officers required to oversee the contentious parade as well as the costs involved in doing so.
Chief Insp Magill said he will present the precise figure to DPP members in the near future, adding that the overall cost last year was in the region of �30,000.
At the recent parade police deployed five tactical support group units, two police support units and seventy officers drafted in from across H district.
In the wake of the high profile parade Sinn Fein criticised the polices handling of the event.
The parade was re-routed and delayed for more than two hours following a security alert at the villages Orange hall.
North Antrim MLA Daithi McKay said the re-routing was illegal because it was not cleared by the Parades Commission.
Police said allowing the parade to proceed along the route in reverse gave them more time to make safe the suspicious object and reduce the delay.
"This was a practical solution to a problem that was not of the making of the parade organisers or the residents group," said Chief Inspector Ryan Henderson.
He said the decision to change the route was because "the safety of everyone in the area was our first priority".
As the parade passed, protesters shouted insults but the trouble was minor. Police said no arrests were made.
The DUP said the police should have anticipated the hoax.
Meanwhile, at Thursdays meeting Chief Insp Magill said police have been able to scale down the number of officers required at numerous band parades throughout the borough in recent times.
Indeed he revealed there are a number of parades at which no police are present.
DPP member Michael Fleming welcomed the move adding: "Its a good, positive news story."
