UP to 150 Dorset Police officers will be on Olympic and Paralympic Games duty at any one time this summer – but residents are being assured the rest of the county will not suffer.

With the sailing events due to take place in Weymouth and Portland, Dorset Police are preparing a 65-day policing operation to keep the sporting venue and local communities safe.

This will be the largest ever pre-planned policing operation but Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting has stressed they will not be neglecting the rest of the county. He said they would be relying on support from other police forces through mutual aid arrangements to help them police the Games.

He said: “Officers from across Dorset, as well as officers from other police forces, will support the policing of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth and Portland but we will still be policing the rest of Dorset.

“The maximum number of Dorset officers serving on the Games on any one shift currently will be approximately 150, but this total varies significantly according to the demands of each day and on many days is significantly smaller.

“We will be drawing upon the support of other police forces to provide officers, some with specialist skills, to assist our operation. The maximum number of mutual aid police officers on duty in Dorset on any one shift on our busiest days will currently be approximately 200 but again that number is not constant and is significantly less on many days.

“It’s important to recognise that these numbers are approximate and are based upon our planning at this time, which will continually evolve in response to the situation we face. We are committed to making Dorset safer and as well as planning for a safe and secure Games, we will continue to provide operational service as usual across the rest of Dorset.”

The Olympic safety and security operation in Dorset is also supported by all three services – Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force – as well as local authority and emergency service partners.