Florida church Pastor Terry Jones, who sparked controversy over his plans to burn the Koran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, has been hit with a 100,000 pounds bill to cover the cost of police security for the stunt.
More than 200 police, including members of a SWAT team, were on duty outside the Dove Outreach Church in Gainesville where Jones planned his mass burning of the Muslim holy book.
The huge security was reportedly not removed even after the plans were called off following criticism from the US diplomats, including US President Barack Obama.
City officials in Gainesville said they planned to send Jones the security bill but Jones has refused to pay up.
“If we had known this in advance, then we would have refused to have security,” the Daily Mail quoted him, as saying. The local police bill comes to more than 50,000 pounds and the Sheriff’s office has a similar bill from putting almost all of their officers on duty.