POLICE stand accused of wasting resources with an "overkill" response to an anti-fracking protest at an East Riding drilling site.
Protesters say more than 100 officers, including some in riot vans, were sent to ensure equipment could be safely transported to Rathlin Energy Ltd's site in West Newton, near Aldbrough, yesterday.
However, it is claimed officers were met by just three protestors.
Jan Naylor said the nearby village of New Ellerby resembled a "crime scene", due to the number of officers.
She said: "I saw six riot vans, two police cars and a containment van for prisoners.
"It was a shock in the morning seeing so many police.
"A friend's garage was broken into recently and she didn't see the police for three days.
"Yet you have something like this and look at the amount of police."
Camps have sprung up near Rathlin Energy's sites in West Newton and Walkington by campaigners who claim they could be used for fracking – a controversial process used to break shale rock to release natural gas.
Rathlin Energy has insisted no fracking will take place.
Campaigners claim the company has breached one of its planning conditions, which states there must be no convoys of vehicles, with at least ten minutes between vehicles.
According to campaigners, there were two convoys, totalling about 40 vehicles.
Sue Perkins, owner of The Railway Inn in New Ellerby, said: "It is the second time there has been a big police presence around the village. It's overkill.
"There were three protestors yesterday at the site. I lost count of the riot vans. What a waste of money."
Graham Stuart, Beverley and Holderness MP, said: "Rathlin had to be escorted into their West Newton site by the police in case of trouble from the protestors who have set up camp on our verges.
"Rathlin cannot go about its legitimate conventional oil and gas business because of people blocking the entrances to their sites.
"This is a drain on local police resources and should not be necessary.
"The protesters should get out of the way, stop engaging in criminal behaviour and pack up their tents and go home."
A Rathlin Energy (UK) Limited spokesman, said: "We mobilised the equipment that we need for our ongoing exploratory testing operations, to our site at West Newton.
"This will enable us to continue with the programme of works we have been permitted to do by all the relevant statutory authorities.
"In May and June, we met with the local liaison committees and leafleted all of the parishes surrounding our sites to inform residents about what these next steps would be."
A Humberside Police spokesman would not specify details of the operation.
She confirmed police were in attendance in the vicinity of the West Newton site "facilitating peaceful protest in the area as contractors move onto the site."
