No-fly zone in place over Wimbledon

A "no-fly" zone has been put in place over Wimbledon's All England tennis club, security bosses have revealed.

The air exclusion zone was last used in the years following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, but has been put in place again this year.

Police said the decision to reinstate it was not "driven" by security, although it does help.

The zone extends 500ft high and has a 0.75 nautical mile perimeter, Superintendent Pete Dobson, from the Metropolitan Police, told a briefing.

He said the Civil Aviation Authority had agreed to issue a temporary notice excluding aircraft after complaints from the SW19 club about noise.

"We have had it in previous years although we did not have it last year, there was some noise nuisance from a number of aircraft.

"It's not been driven by security but of course it does help," Mr Dobson said.

"You just don't want strange aircraft flying overhead if you can avoid it so from a security point of view it helps but it was not the driver."

He said the measure was used for two years after 9/11, but then stopped.

"That was a response to the threat levels as they were perceived at the time, but in recent years we have not seen the need for it."

The measure, which lasts throughout the two-week grand slam, is just one of a range of beefed-up security measures to police the event.

Mr Dobson said he wanted people to remember the tournament for its tennis rather than security measures, adding: "The idea is to have a very low-key policing and security presence but at the same time keep it robust."

He said he was aware the world's eyes are on London - Wimbledon follows the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and comes just weeks before the Olympics tennis tournament is hosted at the same venue.

"I am acutely aware that if somebody was to do something untoward here it could well have a knock-on effect on the Olympics," he said.

Police numbers at the grand slam have been increased this year, but Mr Dobson would not reveal how many officers are deployed, and how many more are being used this year, but said the increase was "appropriate".

Police are using anti-social behaviour legislation to help disperse gangs of people - including ticket touts - while they also have a list of banned faces who will not be allowed in.

"There are a number of individuals that have been banned by the club and there are a number of individuals of interest that have been circulated by the WTA (Women's Tennis Association).

"Some of those are stalkers of players, some of them are coaches that have been dismissed, those sorts of things where there have been domestic issues within the tennis world and as a result they are just not welcome at these sorts of events."

He said no specific players have approached the police or club with specific threats this year, but there are "generic threats" police are monitoring.

Last year anti-capitalist protesters targeted the grand slam, Mr Dobson said, adding that they were not aware of any politically-motivated protests planned for this year, although "two weeks is a long time".

Plain-clothes officers are at the south-west London club, while each person's bag is searched as they enter.

Some members of the team in charge of the policing operation at Wimbledon will be helping with the security operation during the Olympics, Mr Dobson said, but it will look "totally different" as it is part of a much larger event.

He added: "We are always looking to improve our security plan so we do review it and we do make some tactical changes so we can defeat anyone who is trying to do a hostile reconnaissance.

"The mere fact that the Olympics are here also means that we have been able to benefit from wider security provisions and we use that to review our plans."