Armed police officers to be deployed for UK’s biggest Pride festival

Armed officers will be deployed for the UK’s largest Pride festival, police said following the attack on Berlin’s Pride event.

The suspect – named as Abdul B and said to have links to Islamic State – was shot dead by police on Sunday after being on the run for nearly 24 hours.

He was suspected of slamming a van into people gathered for the festival in the German capital, killing one person, before stabbing others with a machete.

The attack came a week before the UK’s biggest Pride festival is set to take place in Brighton and Hove – which attracts an estimated 500,000 people to the city.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “As we look ahead to Brighton and Hove Pride, I want to reassure those attending, as well as residents, businesses and visitors across the city, that their safety remains our top priority.

“We will be working tirelessly this week and throughout the weekend, building on the extensive planning that has taken place over many months with event organisers, Brighton and Hove City Council and other partners, to keep everyone safe and ensure an effective policing operation is in place.