Saturday, September 18, 2010

'Farcical' Security For Popemobile

The Vatican insists it has "absolute confidence in the security operation to protect the Pope" but Sky News' reporter on the ground believes security levels in Twickenham were "farcical".

The Popemobile was parked for a couple of hours in the courtyard near the Chapel, at St Mary's University College.

While His Holiness addressed the crowd and met leaders of other faiths, the Pontiff's armoured vehicle was left unguarded.

Initially, Richard Suchet was curious about the vehicle itself - what is it like inside? Is it comfortable? Does it have a CD player?

But, as he walked around the vehicle, peered in through the windows, took photographs of the interior and made notes, he said it occurred to him that - if he had been so inclined - he could quite easily have tampered with the vehicle.

To make the point, he reached out and touched the converted Mercedes M-Class.

"That was strictly against the rules," he said, "but it proved quite conclusively that security around his vehicle was totally non-existent.

"No one uttered a word to me. In fact, there was barely anyone around. I could have been anybody."

Fifteen minutes later, Pope Benedict XVI emerged from the chapel, climbed into his vehicle and was driven away.

Suchet said: "We all had to go through rigorous security checks to get onto the premises, so you might argue there was no need to be so vigilant around the Pope's car.

"But all that queuing and searching of possessions was undermined by the ludicrous lack of security by one of the exits."

Around 100 protesters were demonstrating on the main road, outside the gate.

Suchet said: "I wandered out onto the road to speak to some of them. Five minutes later I walked back in - no one stopped me to ask who I was.

"Then, I walked back out again to do some more interviews. When I was done, I turned around and once again strolled back on to the site.

"As I headed to the media centre to file my interviews, I walked straight past the Pope's armoured vehicle again.

"In the course of two hours, I must have breached security four times... except there was no security in sight."

In response to Suchet's action a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "There is a proportionate policing plan in place.

"All journalists are accredited prior to attendance."

When hearing of the incident John O'Connor, a former Scotland Yard Commander, said there should have been officers around the vehicle to prevent anyone from tampering with it - despite the obvious external ring of steel surrounding the college.

He also said that the lack of security around the vehicle was probably an oversight.

But Sky News' Online's Kirsty Donald had a very different experience. She was in the playing field at the main event where some 4,000 people cheered the Pope.

Donald said: "There were three different types of security teams on duty and I had to show my pass twice to get in and twice to get out.

"And while I was there, I was repeatedly asked to make sure my pass, for which I had been accredited, was showing the right way round."

SIC: SKY/UK