WANDERERS have defended the number of police they deployed at the Carling Cup tie against Aston Villa and say it is part of their plan to turn Adams Park into the safest ground in the country.

Fans at the Villa game were confronted by police horses, yellow-jacketed officers and even a police photographer.

The bill will be shared by both clubs and Blues' stadium manager Richard Stanford insists it was money well-spent.

He says the extra police presence was based on intelligence from the West Midlands police and was necessary.

Villa have 70 banning orders in place and with Wanderers now using a marquee in the car park as a beer tent for away fans, Wanderers and the police were taking no risks.

Stanford said: "If you are going to have beer and football, you need a back-up.

"My ambition is to make Wycombe Wanderers the safest ground in the country. We don't have a hooligan problem at Wycombe and Wycombe fans should be able to feel safe to bring their families."

And he says the police were necessary because with Villa trailing 3-1, the potential was there for it to turn ugly if the Midlanders hadn't run in seven-second half goals to win 8-3.

But he is confident Wanderers won't be shelling out on many more policing bills. Last season there were no arrests at the ground and Blues also hold the record for the lowest number of injuries in the ground.

The Aston Villa game is the only Blues home game so far to have been policed this season. Every other game at Adams Park has been police-free and, at the moment, Blues are only considering calling for police help when they entertain derby rivals Oxford United on February 25.