Officers prepare for Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM city centre neighbourhood teams are gearing up for the start of the Frankfurt Christmas Market which opens on Thursday.

The internationally renowned market opens for business in the city centre on Thursday (15 November) with more than six million people expected to sample its festive delights.

A large scale policing operation has been put into place to ensure that visitors and stallholders remain as safe as possible, with plain clothed officers working alongside those in uniform to identify anybody breaking the law.

Officers will also be working closely with market security staff to share information during a daily briefing, while Safer Travel police teams will be patrolling buses, trains and trams going both in and out of the city.

Police officers and PCSOs will also be encouraging visitors to register their phones on Immobilise.com – the national property database – to improve their chances of being reunited with items if they are lost or stolen.

CCTV operators based at Birmingham Central police station will be providing 24/7 monitoring of the market, with anybody found to be committing crime likely to be picked up on a series of cameras.

Inspector Stuart Bill, responsible for policing across Birmingham city centre, said: “We’re working really hard this winter to ensure that millions of people coming to visit Birmingham can do so in a safe and secure environment.

“There will be lots of officers and partners working together to make sure that the crowds all stay safe and have a great time visiting Birmingham.

“There will be lots of officers and partners working together to make sure that the crowds all stay safe and have a great time visiting Birmingham.”

“If officers and staff – or friends or family members are coming to the market – then my advice is to be sensible and make sure you protect all of your personal belongings.

“My officers will be out and about every day and will be on hand to help anybody who has any queries or concerns.”

For more information about the Frankfurt Christmas Market, visit the Birmingham City Council website here.