Manchester bombing: Armed police operation in Lincolnshire ends after four days

A four-day armed police operation in Lincolnshire responding to the Manchester bombing has ended following the Bank Holiday weekend.

Dozens of armed officers were drafted in to the county to patrol the streets after the terror threat level was raised to critical in the wake of the suicide attack.

Officers were deployed across various locations in the county, such as Lincoln High Street and Skegness seafront.

They were brought in to support Lincolnshire Police’s existing armed response units, part of the East Midlands Operational Support Service (EMOpSS).

The Ministry of Defence officers, used mainly to protect MOD bases in Scotland, were based at RAF Scampton.

Armed police have been patrolling in Skegness since Tuesday. Photo: Kate Hemingway ITV

Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones said: “These dedicated officers have travelled a long way, leaving their families behind, to serve the people of Lincolnshire during this challenging time.

“They deserve the gratitude of everyone and I wanted to offer thanks on behalf of all our communities, personally, before they made the long journey home.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to our own officers, staff and volunteers, many of whom have given up rest days and holidays to make sure that residents and visitors to the county could enjoy theirs in safety.”

Armed police in Skegness. Photo: Kate Odlin

Chief Superintendent Shaun West, who headed Operation Temperer across the county, said the support armed officers had received from members of the public and local businesses had been “brilliant” across the whole week.

“Everywhere the armed officers have been on patrol the public’s support has been very warm and very much appreciated,” he said.

“On many, many occasions people have approached the officers to express their gratitude, asked for photos and made it clear they were reassured by our presence.”

He paid special thanks to Butlins at Skegness for offering a refreshment and relaxation facility to the armed officers who had been drafted in to patrol local communities there.

“All of the armed officers have been made to feel very welcome wherever they have been and that is extremely humbling.”