Balancing fun and safety makes a successful event

ABU DHABI // As the capital continues to build itself up as a venue for major sporting events, an adviser to the police shared how the city could learn from the experiences of UK police. Phil Manns was a UK police superintendent when 60 officers were injured because of fighting after a football match in London between Chelsea and Millwall in 2002. Speaking at a conference on protection and security yesterday, he described how focus shifted towards ensuring public safety.

"Security measures should not be too much to the extent of turning people away," he said. "People want to go to the game to have fun. It is a family event, so they don't want to be subject to a lot of security. There should be a balancing act." * The National