‘Unacceptable’: Hundreds of officers policing Donald Trump’s visit to UK forced to sleep in gymnasium
Officers who will secure Donald Trump’s visit to the UK are being forced to sleep in ‘unacceptable’ conditions worse than cells, the Police Federation has said.
Pictures posted on Twitter show cramped lines of camp beds filling a vast gymnasium and sleeping mats on the floor of a squash court for officers to rest on between long shifts policing the US President’s trip, starting on Thursday.
The Police Federation has complained of the conditions its members are facing during the operation, which will see officers from across the country enlisted at a cost of up to £10 million.
At the National #PoliceBravery Awards today with 2 brave @lincspolice officers and their partners. Could post pics of evening spent with them in the Tower of London(Ceremony of the Keys) but subdued when seeing pics of “accommodation” for cops away on mutual aid. Disgraceful pic.twitter.com/sYWzBw6Pld
— LincsPolFed (@LincsPolFed) July 12, 2018
Simon Kempton, the organisation’s deputy treasurer in England and Wales, said 300 officers are expected to sleep in the gymnasium with no hot water and restricted access to warm food.
He said: ‘These officers have been asked to leave their families to travel to another part of the country to help protect the public and the President and all they expect in return is to be treated with some dignity and respect.
‘What’s clear is that anyone overnight who has been arrested by the police would be put in accommodation far superior to what the officers are staying in.’
Latest on Donald Trump at Yahoo News UK
Judge rules that Donald Trump CANNOT block critics on Twitter because he is the President
Can Donald Trump actually press the nuclear button whenever he wants?
Donald Trump says ‘everyone thinks’ he should get Nobel peace prize
He said officers at that site are only averaging three to four hours’ sleep ahead of 15-hour shifts because of the conditions.
John Apter, chairman of the Hampshire Police Federation, added: ‘There’s so much pressure on officers at the moment. Many are having rest days cancelled, working extended hours and this on top of it; do the bosses really care?
‘It hits morale. It’s tough at the moment, really tough and they don’t deserve this – it’s not right and it’s not acceptable.’
The controversial President’s visit has prompted one of the UK’s biggest ever police operations, with thousands of officers on duty.
During Mr Trump’s trip he will meet the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May as he visits locations including Blenheim Palace, Chequers, Windsor Castle, the US ambassador’s official residence in Regent’s Park, London, and Scotland.