Olympic terror flights will divert to Scotland
Strathclyde Police plan to deploy a round-the-clock specialist presence at Prestwick airport. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
AIRCRAFT under threat from terrorists will be diverted to a Scottish airport under controversial plans to protect the London Olympics from an attack.
Strathclyde Police plan to deploy a round-the-clock specialist presence at Prestwick airport, after being told flights will no longer be allowed to land at Stansted if there is intelligence of a criminal threat. If there is a bomb alert, an attempted hijacking or intelligence that the plane could be hijacked, an aircraft is diverted so it does not pass over highly populated areas. During the Olympics, such planes will be sent to Prestwick.
Strathclyde taxpayers already face a £1.2 million bill for policing Olympic football matches at Hampden Park.
Now that is expected to rise by hundreds of thousands of pounds to cover the extra police presence at the airport.
The news comes as the Ministry of Defence revealed plans for up to 13,500 military personnel to bolster security at the Games. They are expected to be joined by 800 police officers from Scotland, who will travel south to assist security efforts.
The increased burden on Strathclyde taxpayers has sparked criticism, coming so soon after the London 2012 Organising Committee (Locog) said an extra £41m was to be spent on the opening ceremony.
At present, flights coming to the UK from the west that are considered at risk of terrorist attack are diverted to Prestwick, while those travelling from the east are diverted to Stansted
However, in the build-up to the Olympics, and as long as the Games are on, Stansted will not be used.
The Department of Transport is understood to be considering an alternative airport in the north-east of England but so far has not decided on one. Strathclyde Police are preparing for a situation where Prestwick could be the only one. No soldiers will be deployed as part of the operation.
Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House, who revealed the plans at yesterday’s police authority meeting, said: “Currently, the UK has two airports where aeroplanes are taken to if there is some type of incident – Stansted and Prestwick.
“However, Locog has told us that, due to everything happening in London, Stansted will not be used.
“We cannot operate on a basis where something happens at Prestwick and we then scramble down there – we will have to have large numbers based there.
“Throughout the entire envelope of the Olympics – a fairly extended time, which will not just cover the Games themselves – we are going to have to provide a high level of security at Prestwick. That’s going to cost.
“The UK government is looking for another airport in the north of England, but we will still have to provide this extra police presence at Prestwick.”
Police are preparing for the terror threat to rise during the Olympics. The threat level was reduced from “severe” to “substantial” in July, for the whole of the UK, and has not been raised since.
Counter-terrorism chiefs say there are no plans to raise the threat level for the Olympics, although this could change.
But Strathclyde Police is determined not to be seen as a weak link in the UK’s security presence, and plans to have high-profile firearms teams deployed around venues, training camps and accommodation used by athletes and dignitaries during next year’s Games.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McCashey, counter-terrorism co-ordinator for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said: “We are continuing to monitor the risks associated with the Olympics, and plans will be put in place accordingly.”
However, there is anger that, at a time when Scottish police forces are facing annual cuts of about £4m, the Olympics is creating an additional drain on funding and officer numbers.
Allan Falconer, vice-convener of Strathclyde Police Authority, said: “Last week, the Olympic committee announced they would be spending an extra £41m on the opening ceremony. And yet we in Strathclyde are having to pick up the bill for the football and the airport security.
“Myself, and other members, were concerned that Prestwick Airport will now have to be policed 24/7 with specialist officers. That’s going to cost, and we’ve had no notification that we are going to be reimbursed.
“In these austere times, it’s ridiculous that we are asking taxpayers to pick up the tab.”
Christopher Mason, a member of the police authority, said: “The chief constable has told us that if Prestwick is to be the only airport used [for diverted flights], we will have to have a full team on standby there for the whole of the Olympics.”
He added: “There seems to be this idea that up north there is this great untapped reserve of police potential, and that we are very happy to send people to London. But if we send 400 officers to London, we are cutting back at the margins, and it is at the margins that it pinches.
“Our priority is to provide a police force to protect the citizens of Strathclyde. To take 5 per cent of our bobbies off to London, I’m not sure that is a good idea.”
The Department for Transport denied a decision had been taken on diverted flights.
A spokeswoman said: “The safety of the travelling public is paramount and we will not allow this to be compromised.
“Given the high volume of traffic expected during the course of the Olympics, we are currently reviewing our aviation contingency plans for the duration of the Games. No decisions have yet been taken, although we do not comment on the specifics of our security arrangements for obvious reasons.”
The MoD has revealed that Typhoon jets and HMS Ocean, the largest ship in the Royal Navy’s fleet, will be deployed to protect the Games.
Initial estimates that a 10,000-strong security force would be needed have dramatically increased to 23,700 after an in-depth venue-to-venue analysis.
The 13,500 deployment across all the military services is significantly higher than the 7,000 that had been widely expected.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “These numbers will be in addition to the ceremonial role which the armed forces will play during the Olympics.
“This defence contribution is on a similar scale to that deployed at other recent Olympic Games and will contribute to ensuring a safe, secure and enjoyable 2012 Olympics.”
He said operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere would not be affected by the deployment.
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Comments
There are 98 comments to this article
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wpd
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 11:17 AM#77 Tartancult Good one; spot on.
Hearthammer
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 10:29 AMWait a minute.....aren't the airports private companies? Couldn't they just refuse to let the flights land? Is the English government bribing again?
Ron Greer
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 09:36 AM90 Tartancatamite That phrase sums you up so nicely
Hearthammer
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 09:03 AM#71, wpd, the first defence of a racist is to accuse everyone else of racism. You fit the bill completely.
Hector the Lessor
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 07:36 AMI must admit, I believe I may be becoming senile. Aircraft taken over by terrorists will be diverted to Scottish airports. If , God forbid, the circumstances arise, it is not as if they intend to land anywhere, unless they are looking for political asylum which suggests that they should land at Manchester or Birmingham. Did you ever feel that life was more simple when it was just Cafflicks and Proddys.
cady33
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 07:19 AMComment removed by moderator
postmark54
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 04:06 AM?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
whitstomatowiu
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 01:36 AMTartan Cult,----------------------I'm very pleased to hear you are so happy with your fellow Scots and the SNP.-------------------------------------------------------------------I would'nt like to make a choice neither the quality is so poor for Labour
Tartancult
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 01:10 AM#88 - I don't know and I don't care.
Newferryman
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 12:51 AMThis is what happens when you have foreign policy decided in Westminster. If you stamp on a hornets nest and then complain when you get stung is being down right stupid.
whitstomatowiu
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 12:32 AMTartan Cult,---------------------------------You stop whining at your fellow Scots, and tell us your choice for our beloved Party that puts Scotland first and puts Westmidden in it's place.------------------------------------------------------------------Is it Johann Lamont or Ken McIntosh?
Tartancult
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 12:18 AM" The Scots are not fighting amonst themselves over this."............................................The Scots are always fighting amongst themselves - except when they are whining about their "oppresive English overlords", just as you are doing now. People like you are just amateur whiners generally but when England is involved you raise your whining to the professional level.
Ron Greer
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 11:16 PMTartancatamite. Your avoiding the question ( are you Grahamavoidi?) I am old enough to remember the non fictiitious terrorism at Munich. The authorities in the Briteng capital of Londengland have obviously decided that any terrorists will be diverted away to what they consider less important areas in dispensable Scotland's colonial airport--just a few nuclear blast micro seconds or two away from Scotland's major population centre. The Scots are not fighting amonst themselves over this. These Games are Londengland's Games and the security risks of Londengland are being dumped on Scotland.
Tartancult
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 10:56 PM#84 what country did the host country plan to send prospective terrorists to"...............No idea, everyone was too busy enjoying the games to pay attention to fictitious threats of terrorism......I did enjoy sitting with Japanese, German, Dutch, Scottish, English, and Swedish fans who also appeared wholly unconcerned about terrorism, differences between the various nations and who was actyally 'winning' - they were just enjoying the whole thing..........Stupid people, they should have been fighting amongst themselves.
Ron Greer
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 10:10 PM83 Tartancatamite You have not told us what Olympic Games you attended and what country did the host country plan to send prospective terrorists to--a narrow minded separatist country or a broad minded internationalist one?
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