Border Force joins project to protect Gatwick Airport

Mike Tapp (middle) is the government's Home Office minister

Border Force has joined a project to disrupt criminal activity, including terrorism, at Gatwick Airport.

On Thursday, Border Force linked up with Project Servator, which has run since 2014, as its first official non-policing partner.

Project Servator is a police tactic which aims to disrupt a range of criminal activity, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.

Danny Hewitt, Border Force's director for UK command operations, said: "There's no need to be alarmed. These deployments are taken at random, we don't have a specific threat that we're looking for, but this is all about enhancing and increasing security of the airport."

The Home Office said Project Servator officers were specially trained to spot tell-tale signs that someone may be gathering information that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.

Dover MP Mike Tapp, the government's Home Office minister, said: "This visibility is there for the public, it makes you feel safe, but also it's really affective in recognising [and] identifying hostile recognisance, and also putting people off from conducting crime."

Ch Supt Justin Burtenshaw, head of protective security for Surrey and Sussex Police, said the public had a "vital part to play" by reporting concerns to officers.

"It's about engagement and intelligence gathering primarily around counter-terrorism, but also criminality at the airport," he explained.

Border Force will be helping out throughout Gatwick Airport as part of the project, with a plan to expand to more airports in the future.