A NEWPORT MP is blaming a councillor for costing the taxpayer £100,000 after Saturday’s demonstration in the city centre.

Newport West MP Paul Flynn estimated the anti-racist protest to have cost more than £100,000 to police and blamed Newport Tory councillor and cabinet member for resources Peter Davies who he said “started the whole scare.”

Saturday’s march from Pill to John Frost Square was organised as a protest against a planned anti-Islamic march by the so-called Welsh Defence League, which had been called off a few days before.

On his blog, Labour MP Mr Flynn said the WDL had used comments from Councillor Davies to justify staging their demonstration in Newport.

This was after Mr Davies said there was a danger of a war memorial at the United Reform Church being desecrated as the church was converted into a mosque.

Mr Flynn said the Welsh Defence League would not have planned the march if he had withdrawn his comments.

He said: “The lesson is that responsible politicians shouldn’t indulge themselves with inflammatory and mischievous remarks.”

But Cllr Davies defended his comments and said he has nothing to apologise for.

He told the Argus the planning application was to remove listed furniture from the former church, something which he said had not been reported by officers who made the recommendation.

He said he would have raised the concerns whatever the planning application was for.

Mr Flynn also criticised Cllr Davies for suggesting the Welsh Defence League’s march should finish in Hill Street, where the former church is located.

He said this was provocative and could have raised racial tension Cllr Davies defended the suggestion as a “light-hearted comment” on the Newport internal internet.

He said this is the steepest hill in Newport and the route had already been organised to go up and down Stow Hill.

He said the comment was made to show his disapproval for the march and was not for general or serious consideration.

Cllr Davies said: “It’s balderdash. The march didn’t go ahead so what’s he talking about.”

Newport West MP Paul Flynn said there were between 50 and 60 police officers visible during the protest and estimated there to be 300 more standing by and a police helicopter flying over the square.

Mr Flynn said the police had no choice but to err on the side of caution.

He added that the police relied on intelligence and even had officers on trains from London in case of incoming demonstrators.