Merseyside to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors as The 151st Open gets underway

Merseyside will this week welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region as The 151st Open gets underway at the Royal Liverpool golf course in Hoylake.

Merseyside Police has a long tradition of supporting the organisers of major events in partnership with other emergency services and stakeholders and months of planning, led by The R&A have gone into ensuring that the eight-day event is safe and enjoyable for players, spectators and the residents of Hoylake, the Wirral and the wider Merseyside area.

More than 260,000 people are expected at the Championship during the event but we have been working closely with organisers, The R&A, Wirral Council and our other key partners and have a robust policing plan in place.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins, who is silver commander for the event, said: “We are expecting a large number of people to descend on Hoylake for what I hope will be a fantastic eight days.

“A considerable amount of work goes into events such as this and we constantly review our approach to supporting The R&A and our partners in delivering it. The public should expect to see high visibility policing across the event as we complement and support other security agencies.

“There are a number of plans and processes in place to deal with any incidents that may arise and to prevent any significant or ongoing disruption to spectators and local residents and businesses. 

“Anti-social behaviour, disorder and criminal activity will not be tolerated, and we will be robust with anyone who behaves in such a manner.

“Visitors can help the organisers by giving themselves extra time to get to the course, arriving in good time and limiting the number of bags and other items they bring along. They should also expect to undergo the normal security checks, including bag searches.

“Additionally, we will be deploying Project Servator officers in uniform and plain-clothes. These officers are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may have criminal intent, such as gathering information that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.

“During deployments, officers will encourage the public, including people working in local businesses and event security staff, to be extra eyes and ears, and report anything suspicious.

“If you do see a Project Servator deployment, there's nothing to worry about. Feel free to talk to officers, they will be happy to explain what they are doing.”

We continue to call on the public to be vigilant and to immediately report anything that doesn’t feel right by telling a police officer, or by calling 101, or by calling the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always call 999.

For more information about The Open, visit the event organiser’s websites www.theopen.com and The Open 2023 in Wirral | wirral.gov.uk

For information about how to get to the event by bus or train visit www.merseytravel.gov.uk