Terror barrier to protect Minster
York Minster security barriers
Work is under way to install a protective barrier outside York Minster following advice from counter-terrorism police.
Consisting of 12 large stone blocks, the structure will form a shield in front of the main entrance. The work is expected to be completed at the start of next week.
WORK IS under way to install a protective barrier outside York Minster following advice from counter-terrorism police.
Consisting of 12 large stone blocks, the structure will form a shield in front of the medieval place of worship’s main entrance. It is expected to be completed at the start of next week.
Similar security barricades are in place at other high-profile locations and attractions around the country, including the Tower of London, following a series of terror attacks in the UK and elsewhere in Europe and the US, and in which vehicles have increasingly been used as deadly weapons.
The Chapter of York, the governing body for the Minster, which welcomed more than 610,000 visitors last year, said the “potential vulnerability” of the building’s West End was being addressed by the new barrier.
The Dean of York, the Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull, said: “The appalling attacks in Manchester and London earlier this year have required all those responsible for the security of nationally important buildings, monuments and public spaces to reassess, review and constantly refine their arrangements for keeping people safe.
“Chapter has been concerned about the potential vulnerability of the area around the Minster’s West End for some time. The clear recommendation from the Counter Terrorism Unit required us to take urgent and decisive action to protect the area.”
The national terror threat level remains at ‘Severe’ and is likely to stay that way, Dr Faull said, adding that some security experts believe the terrorism threat to be a generational problem which may last for 20-30 years.
The Minster’s protective barrier has Home Office approval and has been tested by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure. New flagstones will be cut and set around the edges of each of its stone blocks.
Dr Faull said the measure would provide both a physical defence and a visible deterrent, adding: “We have a clear duty of care to everyone who visits York Minster and we will do everything we can to ensure that our worshippers and visitors feel safe and secure.”
Minster officials insist no archaeology will be disturbed by the barrier’s installation and the stone blocks can and will be removed if the security situation improves. Church of England leaders insist that despite any extra security measures, churches and cathedrals remain open and welcoming places.
A spokeswoman for the Archbishops’ Council said: “The police have encouraged all places of worship to be vigilant.
“High-profile churches which attract significant numbers of visitors have taken steps to secure their buildings on the advice of police.”
IT IS a sad reflection on these times, and the nature of the terrorist threat facing the country, that it is now felt necessary to erect protective security barriers in front of the magnificent York Minster.
Even though many will be saddened by this development as work begins on the installation of the physical barriers, it is, however, a necessary precaution if it ensures the safety of its many visitors and worshippers each year.
As tragic events in London, Europe and America have demonstrated so chillingly, the cowardly use of vehicles, large and small, as weapons of mass destruction is changing the dynamics of counterterrorism operations as the tactics – and targets – of extremists becomes more unpredictable.
That the Home Office’s Counter-Terrorism Unit has recommended this work highlights the nature of the threat and the risk to not only visitors, but the very fabric of one of Christianity’s most sacred buildings. Yet, it is possible to remove the barriers, if the threat recedes, and other cities have shown that it is possible to introduce such measures sensitively, and with minimal detriment to the surrounding environment.
However, as the country’s city and town centres prepare for an influx of shoppers prior to Christmas, two wider points need to be made. First the police, and security services, deserve the public’s fullest cooperation – their job is an invidious one. Second, the best defence of all is better community relations between all faiths in order to identify those potential killers who seek to divide and rule. They must not be given the chance to do so.