One of the impacts of high profile terrorist attacks in London, Paris, Nice and Berlin is an investment in far more comprehensive high-security fencing at major sports fixtures.
This includes the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff. With 250,000 football fans set to arrive in the Welsh capital on June 3rd, the police are taking no chances.
The need for unprecedented levels of security in and around the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was heightened after three explosions impacted the Borussia Dortmund team bus as it travelled to a game recently.
Dortmund defender Marc Bartra suffered a broken arm from the explosion and needed surgery to remove debris from the blast.
Security for Champions League Final
An estimated £1.4m has been awarded by the government to South Wales Police, which will fund extra police for the football final, and huge amounts of perimeter fencing to funnel and protect the crowds and team coaches.
Referred to by the tabloids as a “ring of steel”, the security fencing in Cardiff will include large metal security gates to control the flow of people entering the stadium to ensure police and stadium guards can check each one.
Crowd and vehicle control
The recent “hostile vehicle attacks” mean major UK events need to be aware not just of crowd control, but traffic too, to keep vehicles separate from large gatherings of people.
Superintendent Steve Furnham of the South Wales Police has been quoted as saying: “Detailed safety and security planning and preparation for the UEFA Champions League Finals in Cardiff have been going ahead for many months.
“Measures will be taken to restrict vehicular access to several areas within Cardiff.”
London Marathon security
Security was also higher than ever at the start of this year’s London Marathon, officiated by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
All major landmarks along the 26-mile marathon route were protected by security fencing to avert any attempts to repeat the Westminster terrorist attack.
The planning of such security measures is extensive. It’s not just a question of commissioning perimeter high security and sports fencing and gates, but also using specialist contractors who know the best layouts and configurations for maximum effect.
Looking to secure your next major event? Contact Zaun today!