‘The trust is gone’: Cyprus fury over ‘five or six bats’ on British military bases led to request for riot cop help

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LBC can reveal that around 75 riot cops from UK police forces were being prepared for deployment to the popular party island over fears that demonstrations could have blocked access to the sites.

It’s over a near decade-long delay to planning applications because of the presence of “five or six bats in a cave”, according to the head of an industry body, who said: “People are angry, we cannot trust the British anymore”.

The Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to LBC's request for comment.

Companies have been waiting since 2018 for the green light to expand three limestone quarries on the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, as they warned reserves are running dry.

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Another delay to a decision this week has added to growing anger at Britain’s continued presence on Cyprus, with construction costs also increasing.

LBC understands that police on the British bases asked UK police forces for support in preparation for large protests.

The request was withdrawn at the last minute, after just one officer made the trip over.

Antonis Latouros, President of the Cyprus Quarries Association, told LBC demonstrations are still likely to happen though, and “could get violent”.

He said: “Two of the three quarries have already been forced to stop work and the third only has a couple of months left because they don’t have any rock left.

“The companies are very frustrated because they will have to dismiss their employees.

“It’s a constant delay tactic from the British authorities. They say they need to carry out a year-long study to see if the extension of the quarries is going to affect five or six bats in a cave.

“I'm trying to keep our members calm and convince them to wait a little bit more, but this is very difficult. They are so frustrated and the trust has gone.

“People are angry and they’re planning protests, but it won’t just be about the quarries; it will be the whole community around the sovereign bases because there are many, many problems for the villages around them.

“They cannot develop their property, they cannot develop their land, they cannot operate as they want to, like the rest of the island.”

Asked if the protests could get violent, Mr Latouros replied: “They could, if they’re irritated."

The National Police Chiefs Council had confirmed to LBC that public order officers from the UK were being prepared to be sent to Cyprus, after a request from police on the Sovereign Base Area.

It’s understood three Police Support Units were being lined up, each usually consisting of 25 officers, alongside medics and evidence-gathering teams.

One officer made the trip to the island before the request for additional resources was dropped late on Wednesday night.

Protests against the British bases have grown in recent years, including over the use of RAF Akrotiri in the US and Israel’s war against Iran.

A drone, assessed as being linked to Iranian proxies, struck the base in March.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have also claimed the RAF base had been used for ‘surveillance flights’ over Gaza.

In January, a demonstration against the quarry planning delays saw locals block access to the Dhekelia firing range, preventing military personnel from conducting exercises.

And last September, 22 quarry companies across Cyprus halted sales for 48 hours in support of the three operators facing the deadlock with British authorities.

Now, the Quarries Association suggests companies are prepared to do it again, and to go further to “paralyse” the sector in protest.

James Morphakis, a journalist at Cyprus Mail, told LBC: “The situation now is the most tense it’s been since 2018. The protest in January was quite violent, with skirmishes between police and the protesters.

“It's all part of a larger pattern of friction between the Cypriot communities that live there and the British bases.

“The residents have been complaining, there’s been years of delay, poor communication and surveys and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

“Cyprus has sort of tolerated the British bases up to this point where they haven't caused too much trouble for the local population, but obviously after the Shahed drone incident at Akrotiri, it has brought the frustration back into the fold.

“The trust has been significantly eroded.”

LBC contacted the UK government for comment but did not receive a response.