No plans for soldiers on Lancashire streets

Members of the armed forces will not be deployed on the streets of Lancashire following the Manchester terror attack
Armed police and soldiers on the streets of LondonArmed police and soldiers on the streets of London
Armed police and soldiers on the streets of London

On Tuesday Prime Minister Theresa May raised the UK terror threat level to 'critical' - the first time that level has been set in 10 years.

Nearly 1,000 members of the armed forces have been called in to support police across the UK with soldiers being deployed at key locations including the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lancashire Police today made clear its day to day operations would not be significantly changed.

However, the force says it is constantly reviewing the situation, making clear officers are 'ready to respond'.

A spokesman said: "As you will all be aware the Prime Minister announced last night that the threat level from international terrorism has been raised to critical, meaning an attack may be imminent.

"People will also have seen or read in the media about something called Operation Temperer which may mean that in some parts of the country members of the armed forces may be deployed on the streets.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"There are currently no plans in place for such deployments in Lancashire at this time and a decision has been taken that while we will have additional reassurance patrols our policing style will remain largely unchanged at this time.

"This will be kept under constant review to ensure we are ready to respond if required."

A number of high profile events are planned in the county in the coming weeks and months.

And Lancashire Police has said it is reviewing the measures it has in place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesman said: "Plans for forthcoming events in the county will be reviewed and appropriate policing plans put in place.

"Our thoughts continue to be with the families and friends of the 22 people who died and those injured in the terrorist attack in Manchester and we continue to support colleagues from Greater Manchester Police.

"We also recognise that these events and the subsequent media reporting can have a significant impact on peoples’ confidence and we are continuing to engage with all our communities to offer them reassurance.

"Lancashire is a tolerant and diverse county and we must not allow terrorists to create discord, distrust and fear.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We will not tolerate hate crime and we would encourage anyone who feels they have been subjected to hate crime of any sort to report it to the police. We are already seeing an increase in reporting and while these reports are low in number they can be high in impact."

The force re-iterated a plea for members of the public to help in the fight against terrorism and that support was available for those affected by Monday's events in Manchester.

A spokesman said: "We rely on our communities to help us make Lancashire a safe place to live work and visit and we will encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious.

"Members of the public are being advised to report any suspicious activity to us either on 101 or via the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"A webpage with advice for victims and those affected by the attack has gone live at www.gov.uk/guidance/manchester-attack-may-2017-support-for-people-affected"Lancashire Victim Services, commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner and delivered by Victim Support, is also available to provide support and assistance to any victims of the Manchester events who live in the Lancashire area: http://lancashirevictimservices.org 0300 323 0085.

"Specifically NEST Lancashire is a service offer help and support specifically for children and young people www.nestlancashire.org 0300 111 0323."