Guy Martin said that Lincolnshire Police were ‘not happy’ with his plans to drive a replica tank down Lincoln High Street on November 11, but the force explained public safety was their main concern.
On his latest programme, Guy Martin’s WWI Tank on Channel 4 on Sunday night, Guy said: “The police are not happy with what we are doing. Obviously, if anything goes wrong, the tank stops.
“It’s not happening. We need a re-think. Number one on the list was always Lincoln. Where’s number two?
“The police said that Saturday, November 11 was the busiest shopping day of the year.”
Following this decision, Guy filmed the tank in Cambrai – where tanks were first used on the battlefields.
Photo: Guy Martin Facebook Page
Since the airing, many people contacted Lincolnshire Police to air their concerns and anger that the tank was unable to travel through Lincoln.
But Lincolnshire Police said that members of Lincoln’s Safety Advisory Group met with programme producers as soon as the group were informed of Guy’s intention to drive the tank along the High Street.
Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs) are independently chaired and include representatives from a number of agencies including, City of Lincoln Council, Lincolnshire Police, Ambulance and fire services, Emergency Planning and Lincolnshire Highways.
Chief Supt Mark Housley from Lincolnshire Police said: “All the partners in the SAG were thrilled to hear of the plans to bring the replica tank to Lincoln but whilst the SAG were open minded, several issues were raised and a number of requirements identified to ensure that any risk to the community was mitigated.
“As the public will appreciate, the Remembrance Day parade attracts a few thousand people in Lincoln, with a demographic that includes both young and senior citizens.
“The addition of Guy Martin and his tank would expand that number considerably and, therefore, action needed to be taken by the production company to ensure the safety of all participants.
“We were also minded that the event is a sombre event and that we should respect the occasion.
“The event was not refused but further work was suggested to ensure safety.
“Following discussions, the production company made the decision that France, where the tank was first used, was also a positive option.”
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