Policing operation at the 2023 British Grand Prix MotoGP hailed a success

Despite the unseasonal wet weather at this year’s Monster Energy British Grand Prix MotoGP, a three-day policing operation at Silverstone has been hailed a success.

More than 100,000 people visited the South Northamptonshire circuit between August 4-6 and enjoyed a virtually crime-free weekend.

In line with the response to all major sporting events at Silverstone, Northamptonshire Police delivered a wide-ranging policing operation, which went beyond the circuit itself and involved patrols of the main stage area, campsites, carparks, surrounding roads and wider community.

In addition to uniformed and plain clothed officers, detectives, PCSOs and special constables, there was also a high-visibility presence from specialist resources including armed officers, search dogs, roads policing and Safer Roads teams, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) units.

There are of course also many partners working hard on the event including Silverstone staff, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Thames Valley and Leicestershire Police, Highways Agency, and others.

Event Commander for Northamptonshire Police, Detective Superintendent Richard Tompkins, said: “I’m really pleased that the planning and security measures put in place as part of the policing operation have enabled people to enjoy a safe and crime-free visit to our county.

“Planning for this event involves people from various organisations, and it’s great to see that once again, it has been a successful and positive operation, with only a few incidents requiring our intervention.

“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the smooth running of the operation and helped to ensure the safety and security of spectators, campers, staff, and contractors, as well as residents and road users.

“It is a real team effort, and we could not achieve this without the support from Thames Valley and Leicestershire Police forces and of course our colleagues from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Army, Highways Agency, and Silverstone.

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks to other colleagues within the Force, including response, neighbourhood, and operations officers, as well as investigators, who were on duty as normal throughout this event, helping to fight crime and keep people safe across the rest of the county.

“Officers enjoy engaging with the crowd and there is always a real buzz around the event. I hope everyone who attended in whatever capacity had an enjoyable visit and of course congratulations to Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro on his British MotoGP victory!”