Armed Police have been undergoing specialist training on how to board a moving car ferry after plans to place armed officers on ferries to and from the Isle of Wight were deemed ‘too expensive’.
The idea had been mooted to routinely place Armed Police on board ferries crossing the Solent, as some sort of sea marshal. However, it was quickly realised how expensive that would become with talks of needing 4 armed officers on each ferry.
Now, extra training is taking place to ensure specialised officers are familiar with boarding moving ferries and executing tactics in a challenging environment, should the need ever arise.
In recent weeks numerous Police RIBs have been seen conducting exercises on the Solent. This video, captured on 11th June, shows 2 teams of Armed Police climbing a ladder onto Wightlink’s Fishbourne-Portsmouth ferry.
On 22nd June, no less than 15 armed officers were seen at Yarmouth Harbour having carried out training with 4 Police boats in the Western Solent.
Hampshire Constabulary says that the training with partners is part of the force’s routine training, to test capabilities both on land and on the water. The force says it is not in response to any specific threat – a view shared by the Home Office.
Although the Home Office cannot comment on operational matters, a spokesperson has told Island Echo:
“We are constantly developing protection for UK citizens. This includes strengthening security by fully equipping law enforcement and emergency responders to respond to incidents, no matter where they occur.
Article continues below this advertisement “We continuously assess whether additional capabilities are required”.
It was in January 2021 that Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFO) from the Metropolitan Police carried out a training exercise at the former Weston Primary School in Totland. In July last year, more specialist firearms training was conducted on the Isle of Wight.
If successive Governments had not allowed so much diversity into the UK then the need and cost to have such Police policies would not be necessary.
As although a portion of serious crime is still committed by our own criminals the fact that huge proportion of prisons inmates are not indigenous now means courts can never again give meaningful sentences to our own vile unless they are worse than the imported vile, which is oft hard to achieve
OK Karen.
I think it is you who are vile.
Nurse!
Other countries might say the same about the thousands of British criminals locked up in their prisons. Do you blame everything on immigrants out of interest?
Be very careful about telling it as it is, life in Britain is like walking on egg shells now…
The mainstream media along with brainwashing factories we call University’s will not allow you to have freedom of speech…
If ONLY for that reason, it is right and proper that we support anyone having the freedom of speech of their opinion whether we agree with what they say or not.
Good bit or training and essential too ,as it wold only take a nutter or nutters with a very offensive weapon,s on board to cause absolute mayhem be a major danger to staff and passengers alike
There doesn’t seem to be any explanation why anyone thinks an armed marshall would be needed on a cross Solent ferry
I totally agree, a very random plan. Anyone with a modicum of business sense would have costed the exercise anyway. It should not come as a complete surprise at the point of implementation.
Who are these people coming up with such bizarre ideas.
I appreciate the need for security but surely ANPR and Facial Recognition cameras on all ferries would be a much more cost effective and reliable deterrent .
These systems should be the norm.
From what I understand, you’re lucky if the police numbers reach double figures on the island sometimes, especially if other duties demand their attention, like guarding a crime scene or RTAs etc.
I was wondering the same.
Total waste of money.
In my experience we’re more at risk from an accidental discharge which the plod are famous for.
IF all the old surnames one finds in British graveyards were almost ALL we carried back and forth on shipping then, you are right, there would be ‘no need’ for such and a huge proportion of the UK’s issues would never have occurred but we are where we are now thanks to successive slack or sly Government policies.
Someone’s been watching too many Bond movies
Interesting story. To start: although we may be citizens in name, on paper, we are actually subjects as our Monarch approved a Prime Minister whom the people do not vote for directly. Secondly: the recent Nigerian ship hi-jack has prompted this move after the Royal Navy, who actually guard our interests at sea, said it was a waste of time. The Isle of Wight ferry is not every despotic regime’s target for maximum annihilation. Except, maybe, our own.
Oh for Gods sake, this isn’t America. Who sits in offices being paid to come up with these ideas?
Get your head out of your arse this is the 21st century and these things are happening!
Steven Seagal is my guess
Ex university computer gamer.
They wanted 4 armed officers on each ferry? Would have been a cushy job for some, better off catching criminals. Whoever thought this up missed April 1st.
They would be better of learning how to board a ferry sat in the terminal with mechanical issues or staff shortages, as the chances of needing to board it when it’s moving is quite slim!
Armed marshal’s x 4 on each ferry!. They can’t even put an officer or PCSO on the odd ferry as deterrent to the mainland fuel/cat thief’s /drug dealers.
Judging by some of the comments it has to be asked, would you want to be on a ferry with a knife or gun wielding lunatic? If it can happen on the streets of London it can happen anywhere, and we are not exactly over policed down here are we?
I say it’s a good thing, it dosent take much to see that we’re an easy target wherever we are. Heads out of arses people.
Get over yourself. 4 armed officers on a domestic ferry, just in case?
I have been travelling on the IW ferries all of my life, and the absolute worst behaviour I have ever seen is a bit of general thuggery of the sort our regular unarmed police deal with every day.
There are up to 7 IW car ferries at sea at any one time, that’s 28 armed officers sitting on their jacksies and unable to respond when an incident kicks off on land, which is far more likely.
Sure, if there is intelligence that someone is planning something then deploy them, but routinely having 4 armed officers on board is dumb.
More hot air from an appropriate user name. Go get yourself in the middle of a terrorist incident, will kind of change your mind on security, youl have to ditch that teddy bear or bit of old cloth you cuddle up to and dribble on all your life.
So you think it is real Londoners who are the problem in our Capital?
If so a huge coincidence that wherever certain people choose to settle anywhere on the globe that specific horrendous crimes then occur or increase
Mayhaps it is you who needs to allow a physician not yourself to eyeball your rectum
What the hell have i just read
The absolute worst that ever happens on a IW ferry is a bit of yobbery. 4 armed officers is utter overkill.
I get that there may be good reason for security on board ships arriving from overseas, but there’s absolutely no point in illegals stowing away on domestic ferries as the only criteria for traveling is payment.
Tickets please everybody without please leave the ship
Armed officers on a car ferry? What next on busses and trains and in the boot of a taxi?
They are worried the Island will seek independence. 😀
I don’t see the point of this all the expense of this training just so if an incident does happen they know how to board a moving ferry with their little guns so they can hide shaking and frightened in a corner at one end of the ferry till the situation has ended like they do when they hide in hurts doorway on cowes high street when things kick off outside the pair view the fountain and the vectis at Cowes week and when they do grow a pair big enough to do their job the criminals just get basically told to sit on the naughty step and think about what they have done British police and judicial system hah pathetic waste of corrupt space .
Well, we can’t all be ex SAS like you, can we?
And why exactly do we need these armed goons on the IOW ferries?
In response to pensioners getting upset by babies crying perhaps?
Total waste of time and money
The Solent aspect is a ruse, the armed police are practising for when the “floating bridge” gets hijacked by armed car drivers trying to cross the Medina during rush hour.
They would only need two for the Floating Bridge