Police officers clutching sub-machine guns will be a common sight in the coming days as the biggest security operation in Brighton and Hoves history swings into action.

A ring of steel and concrete is being thrown up around the Brighton Centre and surrounding hotels ahead of the Labour Party conference, which begins on Tuesday. More than 1,000 police officers, many of them armed, will be deployed in the city to deal with protest marches and demonstrations planned during the week.

From now until Friday motorists are being warned to expect delays and diversions as security barriers are installed round an island site encompassing the Brighton Centre, The Grand hotel and Hilton Metropole Hotel.

A steel cordon is already in place on the traffic island dividing the two seafront carriageways.

The restricted area will be in place by Friday night, after which a contraflow system will move traffic on to the southern carriageway.

The barriers have been designed to prevent car bombs and withstand vehicles ramming into them.

Delegates at the conference will undergo bag searches and credentials checks as they enter and exit the high-security zone.

Inside the cordon, officers have been sealing manhole covers and carrying out last-minute sweeps of hotel rooms.

The IRA's 1984 Grand hotel bomb had been planted behind a bath panel.

Police have been granted unprecedented powers to stop and search anyone they wish in the city centre, regardless of whether or not they are acting suspiciously.

They were carrying out random stops and searches outside the Brighton Centre yesterday as security is stepped-up in the wake of the terror attacks on London.

Royal Navy boats will patrol the shoreline while an airexclusion zone will ban aircraft from the skies above the city centre.

The operation is costing the Home Office some £3.7 million.

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Paine said residents would have to endure minor inconveniences in the interests of safety and urged them to be vigilant and report anything to police.

The week of protests kicks off at noon on Sunday when 100 people march on the seafront calling for equal pay for women.

Later that day Sussex Action for Peace holds a demonstration outside the Brighton Centre.

They will be campaigning for justice for Omar Deghayes, against Brighton arms components manufacturer EDO and against the Government's plan for ID cards.

On Monday there are three small protests organised by Amicus, charity Mind and pension Theft, followed by the giant March For Falmer at 5pm, expected to attract 5,000 people.

Pensioners against council tax will march on Tuesday while on Wednesday employees of United Engineering Forgery will assemble outside the Brighton Centre demonstrating on pension rights.

Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Brighton and Hove City Centre Business Forum, said while the conference was good for hotels and restaurants it was bad news for traders as shoppers were deterred from visiting the city centre. He said: "They either know about the road blocks or the heightened security and cannot be bothered by it or have a misplaced fear that because there are high-profile politicians in town they may not be safe due to the terror alert.

"The pros definitely outweigh the cons though. September is a relatively slow time for retail and this conference brings millions to the economy."

Wednesday, September 21, 2005