Up to 2,500 cops in £30m ‘ring of steel’
A HUGE security operation was staged to ensure the Royal Wedding passed off safely.
Armed police lined the route of the carriage procession and marksmen took up positions on nearby roofs, amid fears it could be targeted by terrorists.
As many as 2,500 officers were on duty in a ring of steel placed around Windsor yesterday, costing an estimated £30 million.
Out of public view were teams from Britain’s most elite police unit, known as Counter-Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers.
Dressed in military-style fatigues and armed with semi-automatic weapons, the ‘Robocops’ are trained to rescue hostages from sieges or tackle the aftermath of a mass shooting.
Police chiefs told The Mail on Sunday there would be a ‘significant’ number of them on standby during the wedding but not on public patrol.
Speaking earlier in the week, Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, national lead for armed policing, said: ‘It’s a major event for the police and the public will see some armed officers, but we hope it will be as discreet as possible.’
Armed SAS troops were also hidden in the crowd in the event of a terrorist outrage.
And barriers were set up around the streets to stop cars being used as weapons, while a no-fly zone was in force above the town.