Proportionate policing plan in place for Shrewsbury Town v Stoke City

Police are advising anyone going to today's football match between Shrewsbury Town and Stoke City to plan their route and allow plenty of time for their journey.

The match is a sell-out with a crowd of nearly 10,000 people expected.

Chief Inspector Sean Kent from West Mercia Police said: "It's wonderful for the town to host a big FA Cup tie like this and we look forward to welcoming Stoke City Football club and its supporters this weekend. As we are expecting a large crowd, there is a policing operation in place to ensure everyone stays safe and enjoys the game. All our officers are there to help so if you've got any concerns please speak to them.

"As the match is a sell-out we'd ask anyone without a ticket not to show up to the ground and advise that they avoid the area if they can. We also ask people not to bring any form of pyrotechnics such as flares to the match as there will be thorough searches carried out at the gates.

"Anyone found to be in possession of pyrotechnics will not only have them confiscated but they will be arrested too, which will mean they miss the match.

"Hopefully the match itself will be enough entertainment for everyone however, in order to keep everyone attending safe we will have several additional police resources at the ground and key locations. These include horses, sniffer dogs and plain clothes officers to complement our uniformed and high profile officers and staff.

"Finally I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation ahead of the match and hope you all enjoy it safely."