Tact team keep festival fun

05 September 2011

G4S Secure Solutions (UK) has declared this year’s V Festival a security and safety success with the lowest level of recorded incidents in the event’s 15-year history.

G4S Events deployed 1600 specially trained personnel for the event at Weston Park, Staffordshire on the 20-21 August. The G4S team provided a full range of event security and safety services, which included crowd management, campsite patrols, safety and security stewarding, access control, protection for VIP areas and backstage, dog teams and car park patrols.

G4S also deployed, for the first time, its new specialist Event Tactical Support (ETS) team, which worked closely on-site with police to provide additional specialist event security and safety management expertise.

Dave Holdway, Superintendent, Local Policing, Newcastle, Moorlands, East Staffs & Stafford commented: “Another successful V Festival operation saw crime levels remain low. This was due in no small measure to the joint working between the police and G4S which this year has gone to a new level of integration.

“The G4S Event Support Team successfully took on a number of the roles previously undertaken by the police as well as carrying out joint patrols with police officers around the arena, campsites and village area. The commitment, professionalism and enthusiasm of our G4S colleagues was of the highest standard and has cemented a strong working relationship that we intend to develop further in the coming years.”

Eric Alexander, Managing Director for G4S Events, added: “Our significant operation at the recent V Festival resulted in a very high level of safety and security, allowing the event to run smoothly, and with a welcome fall in the number of recorded incidents.

“The experience of our Event Tactical Support team in event and crowd management allowed us to design and deliver safety security solutions with the festival organisers and police that ensured the comfort and enjoyment of all those attending. We are already looking forward to working with the V Festival organisers next year.”