| All of the 100.000 expected visitors to the Grand National will be searched before getting into the grounds at Aintree. This is one of the security measures Merseyside Police has prepared this year. People who want to experience a piece of Aintree�s �three magical days� will have to go through a thorough search, including getting their belongings x- rayed before they are let in to the area. � The searching routine will be almost as you would expect in an airport�, Superintendent Justine Curran says. � We will do our best to make it as pleasant as possible, but the precautions taken are necessary to ensure the safety of both visitors and participants� The security scheme has been under planning for six months, and is an improved version of previous schemes. Police staff have been training with dogs and helicopters in Aintree since February this year. Merseyside Police is in strong partnership with both the local police forces and Aintree Racecourse to provide the public with a high level of security. Even though the event has grown over the years Inspector Chris Armitt is confident that the security scheme has expanded in accordance with the event. � We can very swiftly secure a large area, and deal with any problems that may occur. Hospitals in the area have made arrangements to cope in case of emergencies. But we will do our very best to make sure nothing will happen. We�ve been planning this for six months and are well prepared� Animal activists are known to carry a grudge against the race, due to the number of dead and injured horses over the years. AnimalAid has announced that they will carry out a peaceful demonstration on April 6. �Our message to the World's media will be that this event brings shame on Britain as a 'nation of animal lovers'� This may be a cause of worry for the police, but Curran claims to have control over protest actions. �Every year we scan the situation, and make evaluations based on what we find. We will facilitate any lawful protests, and make sure the situations are as safe as possible.� � There has been a change in the structure of the security since the bomb scare in 1997. Our job is to secure the public and that is what we�ll do. This is a major event for Merseyside. We are looking forward to it, and plan to make it as enjoyable and safe as possible�, Curran adds �The most common problem we have is the large number of people coming from outside Merseyside. They don�t know the area, and large queues develop. We would encourage visitors to make use of the public transport available to avoid this.�, Armitt says. The first Grand National race was in 1839. Since then the event has been through its ups and downs during the years, but is now in its most successful period. Future plans for the grounds include a new grandstand and a Heritage Centre. |
| Grand National all under control, police headquarters claim |
| Front Page --Back-- Grand National |