Organisers of Bath Christmas Market have revealed the security measures which will be deployed at this year's event.

Festive events in some of the country's biggest cities feature a 'ring of steel' and armed police to bolster security.

Officers with assault rifles can be seen mingling with revellers enjoying bratwurst, mince pies and mulled wine this festive season in cities including Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.

Somerset Live has contacted Avon and Somerset Police, Visit Bath and Bath and North East Somerset Council for information on security measures for the city's Christmas market which starts on Thursday.

The police are yet to confirm the level of attendance expected for this year's event in Bath, but organisers have declared that safety is obviously their 'prime concern'.

Armed police officers survey the 2018 Manchester Christmas Markets as they open across Manchester City Centre.
Armed police officers survey the 2018 Manchester Christmas Markets as they open across Manchester City Centre.

Visitors to markets in the UK's biggest cities are kept within a highly secure perimeter designed to stop vehicle-ramming attacks like the ones committed in London last year.

Craig Jenkins, executive chariman at Visit Bath said: "Our Bath Christmas market provides a huge positive benefit to the city. The wonderful seasonal theme always gives a great sense of inclusiveness and wellbeing, bringing communities together, creating some 700 jobs and over £29m additional spend into the local economy.

"As organisers of the Bath Christmas market, public safety and security is always our prime concern, as it is now at any major public event in the country.

"We continuously review and enhance our safety and security measures, closely coordinating these with other agencies and services including of course BANES, to providing as safe an environment as possible for our visitors, residents and traders.

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"As in previous years many security measures are visible, you will see physical barriers and uniformed officers along with our own security personnel, surveillance cameras and equipment, with other security measures active in the background."

The Bath Christmas Market starts on Thursday, November 22, and the population of Bath is expected to swell in that time as tourist flock to the stalls.

The opening times of the market will be:

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 10am–7pm

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: 10am–8:30pm

Sundays: 10am–6pm

There will be over 160 chalets placed in bath during the market, with vendors selling everything from home-cooked food to wooden ties.

In a bid to prevent attackers from concealing weapons or explosives, people will be subject to stop and search checks before going into markets in metropolitan areas across the UK.

In the event an attack does happen incident response units are stationed close to the festivities, ready to react to an incident.

In 2016 an IS fanatic ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people.

These pictures show the increased measures implemented by police in Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds after markets opened to the public last weekend.

Sturdy bollards and heavy planters protect the entrances to Leeds Christmas market.
Sturdy bollards and heavy planters protect the entrances to Leeds Christmas market.

They have been put in place amid fears of an imminent terror attack in Britain.

According to Mi5 the current terror threat level to the country is "severe", meaning an attack "is highly likely".

Tensions are high after three vehicle-ramming attacks in London last year on Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and in Finsbury Park.

However, there haven't been any terrorist attacks in the UK in 2018, compared with four last year, including the Manchester Arena bombing.

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