Armed police and roadblocks "will form a ring of steel around Wimbledon next month in the biggest security crackdown in the Championships’ 140-year history," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The terrorist attacks prompted the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Metropolitan Police to take "unprecedented steps to prevent the biggest event in tennis falling victim to a suicide bomber or vehicle attack." The London 2017 athletics event will "witness a similar lockdown," while golf’s Open Championship, the British Grand Prix and Royal Ascot will "also be subject to higher-than-ever security during the country’s biggest sporting summer since the 2012 Olympics." For the first time at Wimbledon, checkpoints will be stationed on the roads surrounding the grounds to restrict vehicle access, with a "dedicated deployment" of armed officers also on duty during the Championships. The Met said, "We will not discuss specific security arrangements that will form part of our policing operation. However, in light of recent events, including the attack in Manchester, the operation has been, and will continue to be, thoroughly reviewed." The owners of the London Stadium also implemented additional "hostile vehicle mitigation" measures ahead of this summer’s athletics and para-athletics World Championships. Organizers of golf's 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale are "still finalising security arrangements for the July 20-23 event." R&A CEO Martin Slumbers "indicated it would be tighter than ever." He said, "You may well see more overt security this year than we've seen at any other Open." The British Grand Prix is "set for a similar crackdown," with Northamptonshire Police confirming armed officers "would be deployed for the second successive year alongside other measures" (TELEGRAPH, 6/5).
