Barriers at Wimbledon to protect queuing fans from terrorist attack

♦ The Metropolitan Police will throw a ring of steel around Wimbledon next week, with heavy barriers erected at key points on roads around the All England Lawn Tennis Club to prevent any possible vehicle attack on spectators queuing outside.

Armed police will operate a shoot to kill policy to counter the threat of suicide attacks when the world’s most famous tennis tournament begins on Monday.

Dozens of armed police and plainclothes units will patrol the grounds to provide “protection and reassurance” to the thousands of people flocking to the championships. The senior Metropolitan Police officer in charge of policing this year’s event has said that the possibility of an attack on the tournament is uppermost in her mind, following the attacks on Westminster Bridge, Manchester Arena and London Bridge.

Supt Jo Edwards said: “Of course we’re taking account of the threat level in the UK and the terrible attacks we have seen across the country. The recent terror attacks are at the forefront of our minds.”

Met officers have liaised with the intelligence services in the run-up to Wimbledon over the possibility of terrorists targeting the tournament.