Exercise: Police at Pembroke Port on Jan 7 (Pic: M Hillen/Herald)

A major emergency services exercise is taking place in the Pembroke Port area today (Jan 7).

The drill follows two front page stories in The Herald which exposed that there were weaknesses in security at local ports.

A police spokesman told The Herald: “The emergency services are testing key elements of policing and partner response plans to a major security threat.

“There will be a visible increase in the number of emergency services personnel in the Pembroke Dock Port area.

“The exercise will include representatives from all the emergency services and from commercial and maritime services.

“This is the last of three pre-planned exercises to be held in the area. There is no cause for alarm and members of the public can continue with their everyday business in the normal manner.

“The exercise will have no impact on day to day policing.”

The Herald revealed towards the end of last year that even serving police officers were concerned about the level of security at Pembrokeshire’s ports.

In a 30-minute phone call with one Dyfed-Powys officer, whose name and rank we did not disclose, this newspaper was told that he and many of his colleagues are extremely worried about cutbacks in the policing of ports.

The phone call came following the first front page story, in November,  about the Paris terror attacks leading to concerns over port security.

In a move, which seems extraordinary in the wake of the increased threat of terrorism to the United Kingdom from ISIL (Islamic State), Dyfed-Powys Police will be pressing ahead, the officer said, with axing the post of ten special branch officers from within the Wales Extremism and Counter-Terrorism Unit (WECTU) covering Pembroke and Fishguard ports.

“We are worried that a terrorist will be able to get on a ferry in Cherbourg in France, change in Rosslare and then enter the United Kingdom without any proper checks.”

“Cuts are already starting and will be fully implemented within the next three years.

“Even senior managers are worried. I think the public need to know how crazy this situation is.

“How would we stop person getting on a ferry with a Kalashnikov causing an incident out at sea? Proper checks need to be made.”

Our police source told us: “The simple fact is that with the reductions planned we will no longer be able to be at every sailing, and people coming into the UK will no longer be checked.”

Speaking in November, a spokesperson for South Wales Police which leads the WECTU team told The Herald: “Counter terrorism policing has well established and extremely effective mechanisms for protecting the public. However, we recognise that as terrorists create a wider range of global, local and virtual threats, CT policing must also adapt and have the flexibility to meet these new challenges.

“A comprehensive national programme to help improve how we use counter terrorism policing resources to protect the public has been underway for two years. We are identifying how we can use resources more effectively, enhance working practices, and continuously improve our infrastructure across the country.

“These measures will ensure that CT policing has the flexibility to prioritise its resources in the places where there is the greatest threat and risk, while maintaining our capacity to tackle terrorism across all parts of the UK.

“Addressing the financial challenges is an ongoing process for policing across Wales. The national UK terrorism threat level is continuously reviewed and this will form part of our response to demand management.

“In addition, WECTU does not discuss operational matters due to national security.”

On land and on sea: Ribs were part of the exercise