SECURITY measures have been put in place in Stratford following the Manchester terror attack.
Prime Minister Theresa May raised the country’s national security state to critical – the highest state of alert – following Monday’s attack – meaning further attacks may be imminent.
In Stratford, a decision was made to keep the bollards in Henley Street, leading to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, raised 24 hours a day. The bollards will remain raised all over the bank holiday weekend until Tuesday when the situation will be reviewed.
And Warwickshire County Council are suspending disabled parking bays at the end of Henley Street by The Jester statue, to allow for deliveries and waste collections.
A spokesman for Stratforward: “Acts of terrorism and hate crimes are committed by a small minority of people and are not representative of the public.
“This is a time for us all to work closely together and unite against those who seek, through violence and extremism, to intimidate or cause fear.
“Therefore please remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour or activity on 0800 789 321 or in an emergency always call 999.”
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has also reviewed its security.
Becky Cund, the director responsible for security at the trust, said: “We have stringent security measures and procedures in place, and these are continuously reviewed.
“Since the attacks in London and Manchester we have increased our security patrol and bag searches are now in place across all five of the Shakespeare family homes.
“In the last six months we’ve replaced and significantly upgraded our security cameras. Our staff are trained in what to look out for and know how to report it if they spot anything suspicious. We ask all staff and visitors to remain vigilant but not alarmed.”
The heightened terror threat has raised the possibility of armed police officers on the streets of Stratford – although Warwickshire Police has been quick to stress no intelligence of a threat had been detected in the county.
Acting chief constable Martin Evans said: “Across Warwickshire we are committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from harm. The role Warwickshire Police has within the communities we serve is vital at the best of times, but never more so than now.
“For the next few days our communities will see and feel an enhanced level of visible policing in key locations to help provide them with the additional reassurance they need.
“We are reviewing a number of forthcoming public events that are due to take place in the county and will be ensuring that we provide the right level of visible policing and community reassurance at these.”
