Gun guards for Aintree
After the Westminster attack, security is stepped up at Grand National racecourse
ARMED police were on patrol at Aintree for the first time in its 170-year history yesterday as part of a massive anti-terror operation ahead of the Grand National.
Sniffer dogs and bomb detector teams were also deployed to protect racegoers in the wake of last month’s Westminster terror attack.
Although armed police have always been on hand at Aintree – and undercover officers with guns have mingled with the grandstand crowds – this is the first time uniformed officers brandishing automatic weapons and Tasers have been in full view of the public.
The heightened security – as well as grey skies and chilly temperatures did not seem to dampen the spirits of racegoers yesterday – the first day of Liverpool’s three-day steeplechase festival.
While some of the ladies opted for tweed, many wore jumpsuits with plunging necklines. Others turned out in elegant, figurehugging dresses and strappy sandals. They topped their outfits with eye-catching fascinators and hats.
The police show of force at Aintree comes after a high-level review which followed the attack outside Parliament on March 22 which left five dead.
Racegoers were yesterday subjected to rigorous checks by teams of security personnel who carried out body searches, looked inside bags and under cars.
Those parking at Aintree had to show accredited passes, before getting out of their vehicles. Security teams searched inside engine bonnets, boots and foot wells. They also used mirrors and metal detectors to check under cars. Pairs of officers wearing protective vests and carrying automatic guns, pistols and Tasers were posted at the entrance of the racecourse.
The increased security comes 20 years after the race was postponed for two days after an IRA bomb threat led to the course’s evacuation. A spokesman for the racecourse stressed that it was working ‘in tandem’ with the police and said racegoers’ safety was paramount. Chief Superintendent Claire Richards, of Merseyside Police, said: ‘We have always had the capacity to deploy armed officers. But what the public will see this year is the presence of armed officers.
‘You would expect us to have reviewed plans in the light of Westminster, and we have.’
While she stressed that there was no intelligence to suggest the racecourse was a specific target, the terror threat level across the UK remains ‘severe’ which means an attack is highly likely. She urged racegoers to co-operate with the security teams and to be patient.
Around 150,000 people are expected to descend on Aintree during the meeting – with more than 70,000 flocking to the course tomorrow for the Grand National, which will be broadcast to an audience of 600million around the world.
‘Checking under cars with mirrors’