“THIS will be one of the more challenging [events],” the assistant chief constable of Thames Valley Police has said ahead of the coronation.
King Charles III will be crowned this weekend (Saturday, May 6) at Westminster Abbey and celebrations are expected across London and the Thames Valley area including the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday (May 7).
Large screenings of both events are scheduled to take place across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire with communities planning street parties, BBQs and more.
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In response to the large scale events, Thames Valley Police have confirmed ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of additional officers will be on patrol.
Assistant chief constable Christian Bunt, who is head of local policing, has said the event will be one of the ‘more challenging’ ones of his career due to the large scale of the operation and it being an ‘iconic event’.
He said: “It’s going to be a long weekend but a great weekend for Thames Valley Police and everyone involved.
“It’s a great privilege for Thames Valley Police to play a key role in the coronation. Our overarching aim is to make sure the events are safe and secure.
“I have an experienced command team in place. We’ve been planning this operation for months. We will have hundreds and hundreds of additional officers and staff over the weekend including officers from the Metropolitan Police force and a small number of officers from other forces.
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“Our operation starts today (May 4) with additional uniformed officers in Windsor.”
He added that there will armed officers and non-uniformed officers on patrol as well as specialist teams.
“Due to the nature of the event I will be adopting a low tolerance for disruption,” he said.
Any arrests made across the weekend will be updated through Thames Valley Police’s media team. No pre-emptive arrests have been made prior to the events.
In a statement to the Reading Chronicle and Bucks Free Press, a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “We are working with event organisers and its partners to provide an effective and proportionate policing response and ensure the safety of the public before and during the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
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“There will be an increased police presence at events over the Coronation weekend, notably in Windsor, including some armed officers.
“This is part of the many visible and not so visible security measures we are putting in place to keep people safe.
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