ANTI-WAR protester Brian Haw has cost police £111,000 in efforts to scale down his encampment outside Parliament, according to new figures published by Scotland Yard.

Up to 428 officer shifts were used in the May 23, 2006 operation to move Woodford Green-born Mr Haw, 57, back from the space he has occupied in Westminster for six years. The figure dwarfs the £27,000 it was previously estimated was spent on the exercise.

During the raid many of the banners and pictures were removed by police and placed in a large metal container. Mr Haw won a legal battle to remain in Parliament Square providing he scaled down the 40m display to just 3m.

He said: "They took away my private property and smashed it up and I believe it is still in the container in Hendon. Imagine someone breaking up your house in front of your eyes."

Charing Cross police had previously asked him to reduce the size of the camp claiming it was a security risk as it might provide terrorists a possible location to hide a bomb - an allegation which Mr Haw strongly denies.

He said: "Is that because a security man can only look after 3m? If there was a real security issue then the police would be checking the site but they never do. No one really believes that terrorists will plant a bomb there."

Mr Haw was not surprised by the latest figures but claims the true cost of attempts to silence him are in fact much higher. He said: "Actually they've spent millions of pounds if you include all the High Court actions and everything.

"The police are being used to put down political dissent. They should have spent the money on fighting criminals rather than the peacemakers. We are the people who are protesting against the biggest criminals of all."