Almost half a million pounds was spent in three weeks, policing the protest camp that was set up at the Belcoo drill site, where Tamboran had intended to carry out exploratory drilling.

The protest camp was set up on July 21 when Tamboran arrived at Cleggan quarry outside Belcoo and was dismantled on August 11 (3 weeks later) when Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan halted the drill plans.

Sinn Féin MLA Phil Flanagan has criticised the cost of the policing operations.

Speaking after it was revealed that £461,828 has been spent on policing at the site from July 21 to August 11, the Fermanagh/South Tyrone MLA said: "The costs associated with policing the proposed fracking site near Belcoo are outrageous.

"It is wholly unacceptable that this money should come out of the public purse at a time of serious pressures to policing locally.

"These resources have been directed away from preventing and detecting crime in the local area.

"The policing operation that was in place was not there for public safety or to protect citizens. It was there because of opposition locally to plans to impose fracking in an area where it clearly isn't welcome.” The PSNI previously told The Impartial Reporter: "Our role is to keep the peace. We facilitate peaceful protest and we find ourselves in the middle in relation to ensuring that protests can happen, but also, if the Government says there is lawful activity, then that has to happen as well.” A police spokeswoman had said: "As is normal procedure, the PSNI have plans in place to deal with any significant event.”