Producers of the Eurovision Song Contest have reportedly been consulting with police amid fears that eco-protestors could attempt to sabotage the event.
This year's competition is being staged in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, with two semi-finals and the grand final being televised for a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions.
Protest groups such as Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising have targeted a number of high-profile events of late, bringing the likes of the Grand National and the World Snooker Championships to a halt.
According to The Mirror, speculation that Eurovision could be next on the hit list has prompted organisers to meet with Merseyside Police officials to come up with a plan to minimise any disruption.
"We're planning for it, I'm happy with the level of planning," chief superintendent Jonathan Davies told the newspaper. "We just ask that people don't try and embarrass it or cause problems for themselves because 161 million people will be watching this.
"I think we just need to understand how important it is to the people of Ukraine that we deliver a safe, respectful event on their behalf."
The contest is also facing disruption by rail workers, who have scheduled a strike for the day of the grand final on May 13 in a dispute over pay.
Neil Wilkes
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