Police speak of extra Oakham patrols as town council expresses its 'concerns'
Rutland Police have spoken of the extra support they are receiving to help cope with the arrival of people to a 'religious' festival at the Rutland showground in Oakham.
Social media has been abuzz with reports of Oakham stores being looted, staff being abused, racing taking place on the town by-pass and all-round mayhem, with one observer likening it to the post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max.
This afternoon, Rutland Police said on twitter: "We are being supported by officers from Melton as well as special constables, the Road Policing Unit and Tactical Support Team throughout the night and upcoming days."
They added soon after: "We continue our presence in the area of McDonalds, Aldi and M&S."
"Local teams were supported by officers from Leicestershire Police and Melton Police," Rutland Police added.
Earlier police issued a statement saying they were stepping up patrols in the area, as also reported by Nub News.
Meanwhile, Oakham Town Council this afternoon has said it is "as concerned as the rest of the population of the significant impact that the current event at Rutland Showground is having on Oakham."
A statement on Facebook continued: "We are liaising closely with Rutland Police and have been reassured that the situation is being managed by extra patrols including 24 hour presence from a traffic policing team.
"Should you need to contact the police please do so by phoning 101 or 999 in an emergency. Low level crimes, incidents and information can also reported online at https://www.leics.police.uk/report-online"
The post added: "We are very disappointed in the miscommunication surrounding this event. Whilst we respect and believe in religious freedom, an event of this size will always require transparent communication in order to have the correct management in place."
Furthermore, Rutland MP Alicia Kearns has added to her statement where she said she has been working with police and others concerning the situation, as reported by Nub News earlier today.
The MP has since commented in an update: "Police have increased patrols and numbers of officers following my requests and those of RCC. We now have:
- increased foot patrols will take place alongside- dedicated roads policing teams and a
- specialist drone team "The Showground will also be increasing security "The number of police deployed is determined in part by the levels of reports of criminality taking place. "I have continued to stress the need for pre-emptive policing to prevent issues and protect residents."
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