Hundreds of officers 'on standby' in case of demonstration in Yeovil

Avon and Somerset Police has said it has hundreds of officers on standby in case of any unrest this weekend.

It follows concerns of disorder in Yeovil on Saturday 10 August.

Posts have been shared on social media, suggesting there could be a demonstration in the town. There were similar concerns in Bristol on Wednesday 7 August, which turned out to be untrue.

In a statement, Somerset Commander Superintendent Lisa Simpson said a large policing operation is in place, to facilitate any peaceful protests and deal with any disorder

“We know people are concerned about posts being shared on social media and that there could be disorder in the town on Saturday," she said.

“We would never want to downplay these concerns and we want the people of Yeovil to feel safe and be free to go about their lives without fear.

“While we don’t have any firm evidence there will be any demonstration in the town this weekend, we are putting in place a significant operation to provide reassurance.

“We will have more than 200 officers on standby, ready to act in an instant if people begin to gather and engage in any kind of anti-social behaviour or criminality.

“These officers will mostly be local officers but we’re also bringing in others from neighbouring police forces and further afield.

“In addition, our mounted, dog and drone units will also be in the area should we need.”

She added: “Given the scenes we have all witnessed take place in towns and cities across the country in recent days, we feel it is proportionate to stand up this operation.

“Those who live and work in Yeovil, or who are planning on visiting this weekend, should not be alarmed by the large number of police, they are there to keep you safe.

“The Neighbourhood Policing Team has been in regular contact with community and faith leaders as well as local businesses to keep them informed about what we know.

“It’s apparent through these conversations that people are keen for advice on whether they should avoid the town centre this weekend and whether they should board up their businesses.

“This is not something we would ever advise on. We will provide people with what we do and don’t know to enable them to make their own informed decisions.

“We are committed to keeping people updated and should any new information come to light about any demonstration in Yeovil we will release this.

“Finally, I’d like to thank local residents for their support and engagement with us in these unusual times.

“It’s by working closely with our communities that we will ensure those who threaten to cause unrest will not succeed.”