DEVON and Cornwall Police were out in force to help ensure everyone attending the Royal Cornwall Show could enjoy the event safely, after carrying out patrols on the roads and across the showground.

Officers from the local neighbourhood team attending the event carried out high-visibility patrols in and around the showground, alongside specialist roads policing officers who took to the roads to deter careless and dangerous driving.

Their presence was part of pre-planned activity in collaboration with the organisers of the Royal Cornwall Show to keep show-goers safe, ensuring an enjoyable experience for all.

As part of their patrols on the busy roads, officers stopped a number of vehicles. 40 drivers were given advice after carrying out minor moving traffic offences. One arrest was made after the individual was found driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.

One driver was found not wearing a seatbelt, two individuals were found driving without insurance and another stopped for having no MOT. A number of roadside drug swipe tests were carried out, which all produced a negative result.

There were two arrests made at the show, including for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Inspector Adam Stonehill, who oversaw the police patrols at the event, said: “Even with the influx of people visiting Wadebridge, I’m pleased to say that as expected, the event was a peaceful and enjoyable one for all.

“Our visibility at events like this is to help keep people safe by providing a reassurance presence and deterring problems before they happen. We’ll continue to work alongside event organisers in the lead up to the next one, making sure that together we’re all doing what we can to keep people safe.”

Inspector Tony Hannaford, who heads up the roads policing team, said: “With the large numbers of vehicles coming and going throughout the event, road safety was a key focus for us. Despite over one hundred thousand people attending the show over the three days, road offences remained low, which is positive.

“We know the power of seeing a police car on the road and the impact this can have on road users, deterring them from careless driving and encouraging them to make safe decisions. Whilst we can’t put figures to the number of offences we were able to prevent, anything we can do to keep our roads and people safe is vital.”

There was also a Devon and Cornwall Police stand at the event, welcoming visitors to chat with officers. There were a number of activities at the stand, including make your own fingerprint key rings and speed reaction tests on the ‘Batak Board’.

The proactive patrols formed part of the police’s response to keeping show-goers safe. Neighbourhood police teams and roads policing officers will continue to be visible across communities over the summer months and throughout the year.

Members of the public can keep up to date with what police are doing locally to keep you safe by signing up to Devon & Cornwall Alert. To sign up, visit: alerts.dc.police.uk