Merseyside Police to mount 'biggest policing operation' ever to keep Eurovision safe
The force says there will be a 'visible' armed police presence
Merseyside Police say they're gearing up for their largest policing operation ever, as the 67th Eurovision Song Contest comes to the city next week.
The force say they've worked closely with event organisers, as was as MerseyTravel to ensure the safety of fans and visitors across the nine days.
Chief Superintendent Jonathan Davies, Merseyside Police's Tactical Commander for Eurovision 2023 said:
"The Eurovision Song Contest being held in Liverpool is a huge moment for the city. It’s been 25 years since the UK hosted the competition, so it is an absolute honour that our city was chosen to host this event on behalf of Ukraine.
"It is important to acknowledge our policing role in this event and despite it being the biggest policing operation we have ever done here in Merseyside, we are confident we have a robust policing plan in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.
"Hosting on behalf of Ukraine has presented some unique challenges whilst completing our preparation but we are confident we have the plans and processes in place to deal with any incidents that may arise and to prevent any significant, or ongoing disruption, to event visitors to the city, local residents and businesses.
“We are expecting large numbers of people to head into Liverpool city centre to experience our bars, clubs and restaurants and we want all our visitors to know that we will not tolerate any violence, antisocial behaviour or hate crimes.
"We are linked in with CCTV operators and working closely with door staff, licensees and bar staff to help us identify these crimes if they do happen, but I would ask if anyone witnesses themselves, that they speak to a member of staff or police officer to highlight any concerns or issues and report any incidents."