Police and the organisers of Shrewsbury Flower Show have thanked visitors and local residents following a bomb threat which led to the evacuation of the event on Friday evening.
Chief Inspector Mark Reilly said:
“As most people are aware, on Friday we received a bomb threat which was made anonymously to the Shrewsbury Flower Show. A swift evacuation was made of The Quarry, where the event was being held, so that extensive searches could be carried out to establish if the threat was genuine.
“I understand the Bomb threat and police action caused concern and disruption to those wishing to enjoy Friday evening at the flower show and local residents.
“It was vitally important we took steps to ensure the threat was not genuine and that there was no risk to public safety. Thankfully, our searches established that there was no threat, and the show was able to go ahead as planned the following day.
“An investigation is now underway to understand the nature of the information provided to us which caused the threat, which at the current time we believe could have been a hoax call. If our enquiries establish the threat was a hoax then we will not hesitate to ensure those responsible face the consequence of their actions.
“I would like to recognise and thank the public for their understanding and co-operation on Friday, which allowed us to quickly and safely evacuate the Quarry so that we could carry out our searches. The support we received from our local communities in person and on social media has been incredibly important, and never something we would take for granted.
“I would also like to thank our colleagues from other emergency services and agencies for their support on Friday, as well as the show’s organisers for their co-operation and working with us to ensure the public were kept safe.”
Amanda Jones, on behalf of the show committee, said:
“After the dreadful turn of events on Friday evening, we would like to give a massive shout out to the many local residents, bars and businesses who helped out.
“From offering teas and coffees to the police and our security team, to extending opening hours to help people who could not get back to their stalls or vehicles – they were all fantastic.
“A huge logistical operation swung into action in the early hours of Saturday to secure all the catering stands and units, turning off electricity and calor gas bottles and then ensuring they were working on Saturday. It was just brilliant.”
She added: “We also need to say a big thank you to the teams who travelled many miles to test, check and secure the site so that the many thousands of visitors could enjoy the second day of the show.”
The Flower Show team have received many messages from visitors and traders, praising the security operation which oversaw the evacuation.
Maelor Owen, who chairs the committee, said no one knew how long the showground would need to be closed on Friday evening while the Ministry of Defence and other security experts carried out their search.
“It turned out to be longer than we initially expected. We are all sincerely sorry for the inconvenience caused by the idiot who made the hoax call, ruining the enjoyment of thousands of people.
“It’s also heartbreaking when so many people have worked so hard, for so many months, to put together what we feel was still another wonderful show.
“We must not be beaten by those mean-spirited individuals who try to sabotage the enjoyment of others. We’d like to thank the traders for their patience and understanding, and look forward to welcoming everyone back next year.”
Mark Sutton of Midlands Fire and Rescue Service told how the team used its fire appliances to move the crowds towards the main gates, working with the event’s security teams, when the evacuation order was made.
He then entered the empty showground with his colleagues and police officers to isolate all catering units and assist with a general sweep of the site, maintaining a presence at the Quarry until around 3.30am.
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