Campaigners have criticised the ‘vast’ amount of money spent on policing the English Defence League’s (EDL) march through Walthamstow during an era of budget cuts.

Waltham Forest trades council (WFTC) has written to the Metropolitan Police to complain about the financial cost and policing style of the protests surrounding the English Defence League’s march on May 9.

They have estimated that the cost of policing the march was £300,000 as police officers were drafted from all over the country to deal with the march from the Far Right ‘human rights organisation’.

In the open letter signed by WFTC secretary Linda Taaffe and president David Knight the union criticised police tactics amongst the closure of police stations throughout Waltham Forest.

It read:“The police presence was made up of hundreds of officers on foot, and waiting in vans, some on horses, some in the air and others with dogs.

“This over-the-top mobilisation contrasts sharply with the woeful response ordinary citizens receive when we report a real crime in this borough.

“A number of people were unjustly arrested for the simple reason that they wanted to walk the highway in their own neighbourhood."

The EDL spokesman Keith Thomas said: "The police only needed a third of their numbers for that march. We are a non-violent organisation."

Ellie Merton, who ran as an Independent candidate for Walthamstow in the General Election, and attended the march said at the time: “There were helicopters and about ten police officers, including riot police, to every EDL member.

"In the age of austerity it is a complete waste of money.

“Nobody wanted the march to go ahead except the Home Office.”

Police said they had adequate resources in place for the march but refused to give out operational information.