Shropshire Star

Counter terrorism talks in Shrewsbury this week after flower show bomb scare

Counter terrorism will be discussed this week in light of the Shrewsbury Flower Show bomb scare last year and the Manchester Arena killer explosion.

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Shrewsbury Town Council will receive a presentation about Martyn's Law, legislation created following the deaths of 29-year-old Martyn Hett and 21 other innocent victims at an Ariana Grande concert.

The bill will impose requirements on certain premises and groups around being prepared for terrorist attacks, and the town council will consider how it affects Shrewsbury.

The Let's Rock concert in the Quarry was the first big music gig in the country to be held after the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. Armed police patrolled the venue as revellers partied to Billy Ocean, Tony Hadley, and Shrewsbury's own, T'Pau.

Armed police on patrol at the Let's Rock 80s Festival in the Quarry, Shrewsbury in 2017

Last summer, a large scale evacuation had to take place at the same venue when there was a bomb scare at the flower show. Around 5,000 people were out within 15 minutes and a large cordon was put in place ahead of a military bomb squad arriving and checking out the two "suspicious packages".

The town crier, Martin Wood, addressed the public with his booming voice about the fireworks being cancelled, although the show was back on the next day. Nobody has been caught.