UK: The Great Dorset Steam Fair (GDSF) has commissioned enforcement specialist TSG to patrol and protect its primary areas this summer, working alongside existing security arrangements.
Organisers moved Great Dorset Steam Fair back a week last year, to run across the August Bank Holiday, and it attracts more than 200,000 people over five days, with many families among them.
To ensure their safety, Operations Director Julian Hubbuck has split the site into zones for 2017 and switched from a single security supplier to a number of companies, each playing to its particular strengths.
TSG, which managed a successful deployment at GDSF 2015, returns to the 600-acre site with greater numbers to look after the event’s entertainment areas, including the main music stage, a large fairground and multiple bars.
The agency’s uniformed officers will engage with the public, provide reassurance and address any incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Julian Hubbuck commented: “We missed TSG’s high-profile presence in 2016. The company’s enhanced level of training and experience is a perfect fit for the main licensed area.
“Like any organiser we’re always looking for ways to improve the experience for visitors and exhibitors and a multi-agency approach to their safety is absolutely the right response.”
TSG’s Managing Director, David Boswell, said: “Team TSG is talking to the other security companies involved and we are focused on the task in hand. Our officers are looking forward to being a part of the solution to ensure a safe, enjoyable event for all involved.”
First held in 1969, Great Dorset Steam Fair moved to its current site, Tarrant Hinton near Blandford Forum, in 1988. Alongside traction engines, tractors and farm machinery, the event features classic cars and commercial vehicles, working shire horses, rustic crafts and ‘bygones’ displays.
