Police urge continued vigilance midway through festival season

At the midway point of the music festival season, and with many other shows and conferences still on the calendar, Merseyside Police is reminding the public to remain vigilant while out and about or attending any events this summer.

Merseyside Police has extensive experience in planning and delivering security operations for major events. From Reminisce Festival and the Labour Party Conference to the spectacular Southport Air Show and music concerts at Liverpool’s historic waterfront, the force's specialist teams are well-versed in coordinating with event organisers and community partners to plan for large gatherings.

The force continues to utilise Project Servator as a key component of its protective security operations throughout the year. These deployments have proven highly effective since their introduction to Merseyside in 2018, providing reassurance to the public and disrupting criminality.

Chief Inspector Iain Wyke, Head of Protective Security Operations at Merseyside Police, said: "Summer brings a fantastic array of events to our region, and whilst we're now at the midway point of festival season, there's still much to look forward to. Our operational planning teams have been working tirelessly with partners to ensure large-scale events have robust security measures in place.

"Project Servator deployments remain central to our protective security approach. These operations use uniformed and plain-clothes officers who are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may be gathering information to help them plan criminal activity. The deployments are deliberately unpredictable and are supported by a range of specialist resources, including firearms officers, dog handlers, and our colleagues at City Watch who provide round-the-clock CCTV monitoring across the force area."

Project Servator officers also engage with members of the public and local business staff during deployments, encouraging them to act as extra eyes and ears in their communities. If you encounter a Project Servator deployment, don't be alarmed – officers will be happy to explain what they're doing and how you can help keep people safe.

The introduction of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 has brought new legislative requirements that place specific obligations on duty holders across various venues and events. This legislation reinforces the importance of collaborative working between police, event organisers, venue operators and local businesses in maintaining public safety.

Chief Inspector Wyke added: "The new legislation has strengthened the framework within which we all operate to keep people safe. With the obligations this Act places on duty holders, the collaboration of partner sites in keeping people safe has never been more vital. We're working closely with venues and event organisers to ensure they understand their responsibilities and have the guidance they need to meet them effectively."

The force encourages the public to play their part in keeping summer events safe by remaining alert and reporting anything that seems out of place or unusual.

If you see something that doesn't feel right, report it immediately to a member of staff or a police officer, or call 101. In an emergency, always call 999.

Guidance on how to help, including what suspicious activity to look out for, and confidential reporting is available at www.gov.uk/act.