THREE MPs have called on Home Secretary Amber Rudd to look again at her department’s decision to refuse Lancashire police extra cash for dealing with anti-fracking protests.

Her junior minister Brandon Lewis rejected an appeal for a special grant towards the cost of a round-the-clock presence by officers at Preston New Road site where Cuadrilla is seeking to start drilling for shale gas.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw asked for the money because of the estimated £450,000 a month cost of the operation after demonstrators camped there in January.

Cuadrilla started work after Local Government Secretary Sajid Javed overturned Lancashire County Council’s refusal to allow fracking at the site between Preston and Blackpool in October, a decision supported by a High Court judge last month.

Now Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans and his Labour counterparts for Burnley and Blackburn Julie Cooper and Kate Hollern want Mrs Rudd to look again at policing minister Mr Lewis’s decision.

They are concerned at the impact of the cost of the anti-fracking operation on crime-fighting in their constituencies and across the rest of the county.

Mr Lewis said the force would only be able to claim a special grant for spending on policing the protest in excess of one per cent of its total annual budget, £2.6 million.

Mr Evans said: “I think Mrs Rudd should look again at this decision.

“The protests are a direct result of government policy and Mr Javid’s decision.

“I am concerned about the impact on policing in the Ribble Vally and East Lancashire

“I also think Mr Grunshaw needs to review the costs of the operation and the protestors need to consider the nature of their protests and the impact on policing across the county.”

Mrs Cooper said: “I think Mrs Rudd needs to intervene and look again at this decision.

“It is quite wrong that the cost of policing a lawful protest should inpact on the policing of Burley and elsewhere in East Lancashire when government cuts have left the force’s budget already severely stretched.”

Mrs Hollern said: “The cost of policing these protests is having a severe impact on the force budget and policing in Blackburn and East Lancashire.

“The government made the decision to allow fracking at the site and should bear the extra cost of policing there.

“Mrs Rudd must look again at this decision.

“However the demonstrators also need to be sensible..”

Mr Grunshaw said: “Lancashire Police are faced with an ever rising bill to police the fracking protests.

“Our officer resources are stretched to the limits.”

He added: “The government has said that there will be no additional financial help until our costs reach £2.6m spend.

“Even then, we will only be able to claim anything over that initial cost.

“That’s £2.6m that could have been spent investigating child exploitation, serious crimes and domestic abuse, but instead is focussed on policing protests.”