Police urge those attending Balmoral Show to leave extra time for their journey

The PSNI will have two stands this year, offering advice on how to protect your farm, business, home, property and equipment.

Lisburn and Castlereagh PSNI District Commander, Supt. Sean Wright said: “Of course, we are delighted to see the Balmoral Show back again this year. This is an excellent day out for everyone and I want everyone to enjoy a positive experience.

“Please help us to help you by being patient and by driving and parking responsibly and with regard to other road users. I encourage everyone to use public transport wherever possible or park only in the designated locations if you have to bring a vehicle. Public safety is of paramount importance to us so anyone parked illegally could get a fixed penalty notice for ignoring parking restrictions. These restrictions will be obvious so please do not ignore them.”

Rhonda Geary, operations director at the show, said: “We want people to come and enjoy the Show and to get here by the safest possible route. We have worked hard along with our partners to improve the traffic management plan to facilitate the flow of traffic into and around the showground but, as with all large events, people should be prepared for potential delays. Prepare your route beforehand, leave plenty of time for your journey and follow the directions of police.”

As countdown to the 149th show gets ever closer, the PSNI is making last minute preparations for the event. The PSNI liveried John Deere Gator utility vehicle - loaned by Johnston Gilpin & Co Ltd of Lisburn - will be officially ‘unveiled’ at the event. It will be situated in the Eikon complex, where Crime Prevention Officers (CPOs) will be on hand to provide guidance and advice on protecting against rural crime. CPOs will also occupy another stand in its usual spot outside and will feature the Service’s liveried tractor - loaned by Burke’s of Cornascriebe.

Supt. Brian Kee said: “Tackling crime against the rural community is important to police. We understand the effect these crimes have on communities and the grave impact they can have on farmers’ livelihoods. The Police Service is committed to reducing rural and agricultural crime. Our strategy is to work with partner agencies and commercial stakeholders to identify ways of preventing crime, as well as targeting and arresting those committing such offences.”

“We are particularly pleased to be working as part of the Rural Crime Partnership to spread the message about crime prevention and reporting suspicious activity. The Rural Crime Partnership (RCP) aims to work together and bring forward recommendations and initiatives around preventing and combatting rural criminality. The Rural Crime Partnership members include representatives from the Department of Justice (DoJ), Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), National Farmers’ Union Mutual Insurance (NFU Mutual), and the Young Farmers’ Club (YFC).

“The farming industry is a very important part of our community, and we want to reassure them that we are doing all we can to prevent thefts. Thefts of farm machinery or livestock can not only hamper a farmer’s ability to do his job but can cause significant upset, inconvenience and loss of income. We understand this. We want to disrupt those who would target the rural community and help farmers to safeguard their properties and themselves.”

“John Deere is now fitting Datatag’s CESAR security marking system as standard on all XUV and HPX Gator utility vehicle models sold in the UK & Ireland, as a way of protecting against theft, recovering stolen equipment and reducing insurance premiums,” said Johnston Gilpin’s managing director Randal McConnell. “We are very happy to support the PSNI in this way to help their efforts to prevent crime in the countryside.”

Mr. Harry Burke said, “We are pleased to be associated for the last numbers of years with the supply of the liveried tractor. I feel it has been an effective tool in raising awareness of rural crime, and what we can do to help prevent it.”

Translink is asking visitors to plan their journeys in advance and leave extra time to make onward train connections. For more information, log onto hwww.translink.co.uk/Special-Offers/balmoral-show/ for more information.

If you are driving to the Show, leave extra time for your journey and follow directional signage to the Show grounds.

More information regarding public transport and park and ride facilities are available at www.balmoralshow.co.uk and www.translink.co.uk.