Thousands of racegoers will come to Chester this week and anyone overstepping the line will be met with a ‘firm stance’.

Cheshire Constabulary are pushing their message to ‘drink in moderation’ and be aware of pickpockets.

The Boodles May Festival kicks off at the Roodee on Wednesday (May 10) and runs until Friday.

Officers will be out and about in the city centre with increased patrols before the action begins to reassure visitors and locals.

Cheshire Constabulary officer patrolling Northgate Street
Cheshire Constabulary officer patrolling Northgate Street

Chief inspector Richard Rees is in charge of policing the event.

He said: “The races are always a fantastic occasion for Chester, attracting crowds of people from all over the country.

“While the majority of visitors will enjoy the event, in the interests of public safety, we will take a firm stance against those who jeopardise this through drunken, violent or anti-social behaviour.

“Ultimately, we want people to enjoy themselves safely, making it a memorable occasion for all the right reasons and racegoers can help play their part in making sure we achieve this.

“To all those heading to the races I would strongly advise you to drink responsibly, to make sure you keep any personal belongings with you at all times and to ensure they are protected from would-be thieves.”

Racegoers are asked to plan their journey in advance and know their safe route home.

Those who are having a drink are reminded to use the portable toilets installed in the city centre.

Urinating in public is a criminal offence and anyone believed to have committed this offence will be dealt with by officers.

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Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane added: “Chester Races is a great community event which attracts lots of people into Cheshire.

“Although the majority of people go to the races to have fun, officers will be on hand to make sure everyone has an enjoyable but most importantly a safe time.”

Anyone who has any concerns around anti-social behaviour or public disorder is asked to contact Cheshire police on 101.

In an emergency please call 999.

To follow the officers’ work under the ‘Street Safe’ initiative follow @CheshirePolice and the local policing accounts or #streetsafe.