FA Cup final security under review as troops guard key sites across UK
‘Operation Temperer’ is triggered as Government puts thousands of armed soldiers on standby
MAJOR public events this weekend including the FA Cup final are having their security reviewed, with thousands of troops on standby to guard them.
Parliament was closed to the public and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace was postponed yesterday, as the terrorist threat level was raised to its highest state in a decade. Armed police will also be deployed to the Chelsea Flower Show.
The Army said no date had been set to pull troops back to barracks after around 1,000 soldiers yesterday took on guarding duties at high-profile buildings including Parliament, embassies, Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and Sellafield, relieving 1,000 armed police.
Cressida Dick, head of Scotland Yard and the country’s most senior police officer, said: “Colleagues around the country and in London have been reviewing with event organisers the security around all events.
“We are working closely with event organisers. We will be risk-assessing every event. We want London to stay open for business. London is open for business. It’s our job to keep people as safe as we possibly can.”
The London premiere of the new Wonder Woman film has also been cancelled with Warner Bros saying the red carpet event on May 31 had been called off “in light of the current situation”.
Army sources said troops would stand guard at key sites “for as long as necessary” to free up armed police officers for counter-terrorism duty.
Troops were on offer to help secure both the Aviva Premiership Rugby final at Twickenham and the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday if required.
A total of 3,800 troops are available after the Government triggered the Operation Temperer contingency plan in response to the new UK terrorism threat level. A terror attack in the UK is now considered to be “imminent”.
Asked on Channel 4 News if deploying the troops was a ploy to make the public feel safer under the Conservatives, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon denied there was any political intent and said: “We are there at the request of the police and we will be there as long as the police will need this additional support.”
The Scottish government confirmed military personnel would guard 12 sites north of the border. Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria said troops had freed up armed police from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to be sent elsewhere in the country.
West Yorkshire police also confirmed it had requested troops.
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, Royal Artillery and foot guards regiments could be seen in London. Small numbers of Royal Marines and RAF police were also deployed.
Visitors said the sight of soldiers was reassuring. Tim Baldwin, 53, a project manager at a finance company in Leeds, said it was “pretty welcome”.
He went on: “At first glance, it is a bit off-putting. It is a little bit odd. But if something happened, it is reassuring that there is help there pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it’s just the times we live in. We will get used to it very quickly.”
Christine Millington, 63, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: “I think it makes you feel more secure. You cannot let it frighten you, all of this.”
The Army said all troops were regular soldiers and had been given extra training. Gen Sir Mike Jackson, a former Chief of the General Staff, said: “It seems to me that the minor risk, in my view, of a soldier getting it wrong must be far, far less than the greater value to our security as a whole.”