D-Day 80: Hampshire police ready for major national event in Portsmouth with the King and Queen in attendance

Hampshire police have said they are ready for Wednesday's major event, as they look to ensure veterans have a day of commemoration. | Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary

Hampshire police have reassured the public that they are ready to police a major national event and ensure veterans have their day of commemoration.

Portsmouth will have the eyes of the nation on it on Wednesday, June 5, as it holds the D-Day 80 commemoration ceremony on Southsea Common. The event will have the King and Queen in attendance and be shown on television. The police are keen to ensure the veterans in attendance will have the day of reflection that their sacrifices have earned.

The police have a number of operations running in the build up to the day, including increased patrols on land and sea, as well as in the air via their drone team. Assistant Chief Constable Robert France said: “This event is about honouring our veterans and ensuring they get the opportunity they deserve to commemorate this historically significant day.

“As a force, it is a real honour to be playing our part to make sure they can do this with dignity and respect. They made great sacrifices for us all, so it is only right that they are able to mark this poignant anniversary in the city that many of them set off from all those years ago.

“We have extensive experience policing such nationally significant occasions and we are working hard with the event organisers and local partners, including Portsmouth City Council, to help ensure this is a safe and respectful event for everyone.

“Residents and local businesses will have already seen our different police teams deployed in and around the city, conducting searches and carrying out targeted patrols both on land and out on the water in the lead up to the event. And while there will be plenty you can see, there will of course be those that are less visible.

“This is all part of our policing operation to allow the veterans the time to remember those lost and ensure their legacy is passed down to the next generation so that their sacrifices made during the D-Day landings are never forgotten.”

The event on Wednesday is ticket only and the police have reiterated there will be no other public vantage points. Further information on the events in Portsmouth can be found here.