SOUTHAMPTON’S port has always been a thriving source of business in the city.

Hundreds of cruise ships, container carriers and ferries come and go from the port each week, but how safe is it and does it leave Southampton vulnerable to terrorists?

These questions come against a backdrop of armed French sea marshals being helicoptered on to a Hampshire ferry this week.

The trio, wearing full military kit, boarded the Brittany Ferries passenger ship Mont St Michel as part of an exercise as it was heading to Caen from Portsmouth. They proceeded to patrol the vessel, which was carrying 800 passengers, and carried out other security measures.

The exercise was part of a potential ramping up of security in light of recent terror attacks in France and elsewhere, amid fears there may be more to come.

Daily Echo:

Public demand in France for increased security has accelerated rapidly in the past few weeks with the nation on its highest level of security alert and French-flagged vessels have been identified as a possible target for terrorists.

This sight may become common to travellers heading to the continent from the UK as armed guards could be stationed on ferries sailing between France and Britain.

Talks about a proposal to deploy French personnel on boats are understood to be ongoing between the two country’s governments.

It is believed the plan involves placing marshals on French-flagged vessels departing from ports in France. 

More armed police will also be seen on the UK mainland as 900 extra armed police officers will be deployed throughout England and Wales and a further 600 in London.

So what does this mean for Southampton?

Questions have now been raised as to whether British ships and ports are likely to see similar moves to increase security.

Dr Chris Fuller, a lecturer in modern history at the University of Southampton, whose research has focused on terrorism and counter-terrorism, told the Daily Echo that ports are considered an easy target, but having a visible armed presence guarding them may not be very effective.

“For quite a long time ports have been identified as a fairly soft area, coastal areas do perhaps have to think about how they secure them,” he said.

“We are probably more likely to see marshals around the ports than on ships. We have not recently had attacks on ships, there was the high-jacking of an Italian cruise ship in the mid-1980s where an American citizen was killed and thrown overboard by Palestinian extremists, but generally ferries and cruise ships have not really been seen as targets.

“The aim of groups such as IS is to spread fear and discord by having their crimes broadcast online, something which is more difficult in the middle of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic.

“They are trying to create fear to pressure political change, they are trying to politically manipulate a public and turn them against Muslims, refugees and spread discord amongst communities.

“IS want people to turn against refugees because they need people within their territory and not leaving it.

“It makes sense if you are going to have increased security at airports then you would have it at ports as well.

“We could completely lock down the ports, the naval yard in Portsmouth is more secure than Southampton but that is because we have an open commercial port.

“We have to have goods flowing in and out and we have to have people getting on cruise ships and not feeling they’re in an authoritarian police state on the off chance that groups might choose to target this particular site.

“This country spends around £1.9billion on its intelligence service, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, and to put that into some sort of context, the French spend something like €203million (£170million).

“We are spending a lot on security and there doing extremely well.
“If we were going to see further investment it should be in the intelligence service more than in armed guards and security.”

Daily Echo:

Associated British Ports, which owns Southampton docks, also said there would not be a ramping up of armed security on ships or around the port, from them or the government.

Ewan Duncan, ABP Group’s head of security, said: “We take the security of our ports seriously and are constantly monitoring the security situation. 

“We work closely with law enforcement and government agencies in order to calibrate our security arrangements according to national threat levels.

“This enables us to minimise the risk to our customers, port users and to our business.”

A spokesman for P&O Cruises and Cunard line said: “Cruise ship security standards are strictly guided by Flag State requirements and internationally approved standards. 

“Individual cruise lines have well established security policies and procedures in accordance with those standards. This ensures that cruising is recognised as a safe form of travel.

“Our own ships are equipped with a comprehensive series of protective measures and devices which are activated in accordance with each ship’s security plan. These security plans are approved and regulated by the Flag State. 

“Within our security plans, we have specific safety measures in compliance with the guidelines of the Flag State, International Maritime Organisation (the United Nations maritime agency) and UK Department of Transport.”

So perhaps investing in armed guards is not the way forward if we really want to secure the port, perhaps instead we should look at how counter terrorism intelligence can be used to stop criminals before they try and stage an attack.