An armed police officer holding a shot-gun stood guard at the top of the Avenida Jaime III ahead of the arrival of the Three Kings in Palma. There was an important visible presence of officers. You could say that security was tight. Last weekend barriers were placed around the Paseo del Borne for the New Year celebrations following the market attack in Berlin. Even our small, beautiful island can't escape the extra security which is now needed in the light of terrorist attacks in Germany, Belgiun and France. Spain is right to step up security. This is not a case of scaremongering, it is a case of keeping us safe in the light of the recent terror outrages.
I was rather shocked when I was back in London to see all the additional security which has been added in many top tourist spots. It is a sad state of affairs but Europe needs to be on alert. The days of open frontiers and passport free travel across Europe need to end in the light of the terror attacks. Europe should be investing in more security: additional officers and better equipment because we are under threat. We must remember that an international coalition consisting of many European nations is actively fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. I fully support this operation because this barbaric organisation needs to be stopped and destroyed but obviously there are risks and the home front needs to be protected, so we must never protest at additional security.