Manchester terror attacks Military could be present at The Open
ALEADING terror expert says heightened security in the wake of the Manchester attack could see a military presence at the Open Championship in July.
The Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host the prestigious tournament this summer and it is expected that more than 200,000 spectators will attend.
Jonathan Cunningham, who runs Storm Consultancy in Southport, said that security officials will be planning extra precautions for the event.
Mr Cunningham is a former Head of Military Counter-Terrorism Operations over Belfast and senior planner for the Iraq war in 2003, and is now also an international speaker on counter terrorist operations and how to make cities more resilient.
He believes the security at the tournament will now be heightened after the devastating attack.
Speaking to the Visiter, he said: “We’ve got the likes of the Open at Royal Birkdale coming up.
“Sports events and places like shopping centres where lots of people will be gathered will have military presence.
“The Open itself is an easier venue to protect because you have geogp graphical security,y although it’s a massive area and perimeter so that will be a concern.
“The biggest worry will be the transport network, so it’s likely there’ll be increased patrols at the likes of Liverpool Lime Street where there will be lots of people.”
Although Mr Cunningham believes the national threat level will be dropped from ‘critical’ in the coming days, he isn’t ruling out the possibility that mililtary personnel could be discreetly deployed at the event.
“Does it warrant extra resources? Yes. Could those resources come from the armed forces? I believe so.”
A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: “Officers from our event planning team and protective security experts will be working together with event organisers to ensure that venues have appropriate security measures in place for events planned in the near future.”
A spokesman for event organisers the R&A said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the tragic incident in Manchester.
“We take the security of players and fans very seriously and we work closely with the police and our security advisers to ensure a safe and enjoyable event experience for all attendees.”