CONCERNS by Chronicle readers over the presence of armed police at the recent Abergavenny Food Festival have led to reassurances that the patrol was a routine deployment.

A spokesperson for Gwent Police told the Chronicle, ‘Armed officers are now often present as a contingency to support large events to ensure our communities and visitors can enjoy themselves safely.’

However, reader David Collyer stated ‘A routinely armed police force has not been shown to reduce crime or inhibit terrorist acts in any other country, quite the opposite in fact. Do we really need it here?

‘A gourmet food festival in a sleepy Welsh market town really doesn’t seem like a good place to be carrying assault rifles. This smacks of the police being used as a political tool to ramp up paranoia.’

In response the police added, ‘We did not anticipate any problems at Abergavenny Food Festival and were not acting on any specific intelligence, but armed patrols at any large gathering are now becoming part of the national policing picture.’

The Joint Firearms Unit sees Gwent officers working alongside officers from neighbouring forces, Dyfed Powys Police and South Wales Police. The joint approach was initiated as a means of economy and to allow specialist officers to share their expertise.