Specialist police search Windsor ahead of Trump’s state visit

Specialist police are conducting searches throughout Windsor ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit.

The US president’s two-day trip begins on Wednesday and includes an overnight stay at Windsor Castle, which will have no public-facing element.

Mr Trump’s second state visit, an unprecedented gesture for a US president, is expected to spark mass protests by the Stop Trump Coalition in Windsor and London, and security will be heightened during his stay.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will meet Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Wednesday morning in the Windsor estate grounds, and accompany them to meet the King and Queen for an open-air greeting.

Specialist Search Unit officers were photographed scouring bollards, bins and drains outside the royal residence on Friday, with a sniffer dog on patrol.

Sergeant Amber Timmis, from Thames Valley Police, said on Friday that Windsor residents will see searches by officers.

She told the PA news agency: “Being in Thames Valley Police, we’ve got lots of people that live here of a royal variety, so just making sure that everyone is safe is something we do quite often, so we’re very used to it, very adept in that, and very experienced.”

Asked how recent security breaches in the US influenced their work, Sgt Timmis, who is managing a team as a police search adviser, said: “We do what we do, we already have a clear strategy and a clear message from our side of things.”

The searches will run daily until the president’s visit finishes and Sgt Timmis said she could not comment on other departments’ protocols.

Mr Trump will receive a fly-past by the Red Arrows and UK and US F-35 military jets on the East Lawn at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, as well as a special Beating Retreat military ceremony.

The Red Arrows and Beating Retreat have never been deployed before at a state visit and will be staged alongside the traditional grand state banquet and ceremonial welcome.

There will be no public element during Mr Trump’s first day at Windsor Castle and his carriage ride will be confined to Home Park.

In contrast to French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr and Mrs Trump will not take a carriage ride through the town or a trip into London to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.