Armed police patrols and road closures for Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham

A colossal security operation begins this week in Birmingham as West Midlands Police prepare for the Conservative Party Conference on Sunday (2 October).

The major event is expected to attract over 11,000 delegates, and police are also preparing for protests which are planned for the first day of the conference.

Security will be tight with additional officers deployed to carry out high visibility patrols in the vicinity of the International Convention Centre (ICC) and armed officers will also be out on patrol for the duration of the conference.

The security operation has been months in the planning and has involved close working with Birmingham City Council, the ICC, Hyatt Regency Birmingham and many other partners, said a spokesperson for West Midlands Police.

Throughout this week work will be underway to secure Hyatt Regency Birmingham and the ICC ahead of the start of the conference, which will involve a number of road restrictions.

Cambridge Street (between Civic Close and Brindley Drive) and Bridge Street will be closed from Tuesday 27 September, with Broad Street (between Gas Street and Paradise Circus) closed from Wednesday 28 September, until Thursday 6 October and there will be additional restrictions on Cambridge Street on the 23 September.

Nearby residents and businesses have been sent a letter explaining how they will be affected by the security operation. The information will also be available on the Birmingham City Council website.

The restrictions will be lifted and the security operation will scale down when the conference ends on Wednesday 5 October.

Motorists are reminded to allow extra time for their journey if they are travelling into the city centre.