Police and councillors step out on to the streets of Wellington
Police and councillors stepped out on to the streets of Wellington in the aftermath of Saturday's demonstrations to find the town calm and quickly returning to normal.
Policing Commander for Telford and Wrekin, Superintendent Gary Higgins, and Telford & Wrekin Council Leader Kuldip Sahota, were among those who went to see the clear-up operation after the assemblies by the English Defence League and a ‘unity rally' had dispersed.
Chief Inspector Keith Gee, who took part in the walkabout, said: "We wanted to make the clear point very quickly after the event that it was business as usual and the streets were safe to walk.
"It was sad to see the shops boarded up and there was an eerie silence about the town but at the same time it was pleasing to see that the temporary barriers were already gone, that the streets were clean and the town centre was looking good.
"There was no damage to property reported and that was a massive relief for everyone. It was a testament to the hard work and planning that went into it beforehand from the police and the local authority and the support we had from the community in the run up to the event.
"The fact that we were able to keep people informed on the day through the media and social networks, as well as our success in keeping things calm during the event, has drawn lots of positive feedback from all sides.
"In the build up we had very good support from the traders when we were out speaking to them. It was a shame to see so many shops closed on the day but hopefully now that it has passed Wellington can quickly spring back into life and we can see the town swiftly returning to its normal hustle and bustle."
