Little Mix concert could see police with guns on patrol

Armed police could be deployed at Slessor Gardens to prevent any potential terrorist attack when girl group Little Mix perform in Dundee later this month.

Police Scotland Tayside Division commander Chief Superintendent Paul Anderson told councillors in Dundee security measures for all large scale events are being reviewed in the wake of recent terror attacks in London and Manchester.

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people and injured dozens more as they left an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena last month.

Chf Supt Anderson said: “All our key events are being reviewed and subjected to a terrorist assessment while we look at current activity and methods.”

He added firearms officers could be used to protect and reassure the 11,000-strong crowd at the sell-out event on June 29.

“Police use of firearms and firearms capability does remain an option,” he said. “Depending on the nature of the event, Little Mix for instance and the amount of people and type of crowd then one of the options is to deploy firearms officers.”

The concert is one of a number of large-scale public events taking place in Dundee in coming weeks.

Olly Murs will also perform at Slessor Gardens while new music festival Carnival 56 will take place at Camperdown Park in August.

Chf Supt Anderson said the elevation of the terror attack threat level has been the first test of Operation Temperer, which sees soldiers put on the streets in response to a terrorist threat.

However, he said there had been no military personnel deployed in Dundee.

Instead they had been used to provide cover for other firearms-trained police, such from British Transport Police, to be used in Dundee.

He said: “I was reassured by our level of capability and our ability to direct a response to any subsequent terrorist operation.”

Police Scotland launched a targeted week of action to promote counterterrorism activity across the country yesterday.

The Counter Terrorism Awareness Week forms part of the UK Counter Terrorism Policing Networks Initiative.

Officers have also been visiting schools across Scotland, including in Dundee.

Chf Supt Anderson said: “For me, it’s about understanding the issues and raising awareness.”