Police Scotland is prepared to play its part in the 2013 Open Championship when the event arrives in East Lothian this weekend.
Following months of extensive planning and preparation, the policing operation will begin in earnest this Sunday (July 14), which marks the start of the Championship, and continue across the full seven days of the event.
Police Scotland has worked closely with partner agencies, including The R&A and East Lothian Council, in order to prepare for the many thousands of visitors set to visit Muirfield.
A transport management plan has been put in place in order to accommodate those travelling to the course, and police and partner agencies will be providing live traffic updates to those travelling to Muirfield via Twitter, #OpenTravel.
Superintendent Phil O’Kane, from Police Scotland, is in charge of the policing operation.
He said: “The Open is a major international sporting event that people come to enjoy, and we want to play a positive part in that experience. The focus of the policing operation is on keeping people safe, and we have worked closely with The R&A, East Lothian Council, and other partner agencies to prepare for the many thousands of visitors who will visit Muirfield over the course of the Championship.
“As part of our planning, we have in place a multi-agency transport management plan that aims to minimise disruption, allowing for the smooth passage of travel to and from the course.
“We will be working with partners to provide traffic and travel information to the public over the course of the Championship, and I would urge people to visit the Police Scotland website for further details on this, and the policing operation in general.”
East Lothian Council’s Economic Development and Tourism spokesman, Cllr John McMillan, said: “The county is delighted to host this major sporting event which will attract thousands of visitors to the area.
“The logistics of preparing and running such an event requires considerable organisation. The council is supporting Police Scotland and other partners to ensure an enjoyable and safe event which aims to balance the needs of visitors whilst minimising disruption to local residents.”
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said: “The Open Championship will draw thousands of visitors to East Lothian over the course of the week.
“We appreciate the support we are receiving from a number of bodies, including Police Scotland, and we will be working closely together with them to ensure that all aspects of the Championships run smoothly.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
