With the 2008 Farnborough Airshow in full swing, organisers say they are confident that improved traffic and policing measures will keep disruption to a minimum.

About 100 extra police officers have been drafted in to patrol the show inside and around the airport perimeter, with plans in place to deal with any protesters or major scenarios at the high-security event.

Meanwhile, special road closures and one-way systems came into force on Monday morning to make sure that there is no repeat of the traffic chaos caused in previous years.

Thousands of representatives from the aerospace and defence industries will converge on the site during the working week, with hundreds of students invited to the youth day on Friday.

Then on Saturday and Sunday the gates will be opened to the public, with crowds of about 80,000 expected on each day.

Extra high-visibility police patrols have been laid on in the area and will continue throughout the week, with Farnborough-based officers and teams from Specialist Operations units providing extra help if it is needed.

But police sources said officers were not expecting a repeat of the small protests staged by anti arms industry and environmental campaigners as seen in previous years.

Farnborough police officers and traffic units will be working to try and keep a smooth flow of traffic for people going to the show, in support of Rushmoor Borough Council’s traffic management plan which has been drawn up by air show organisers and motoring organisation the AA.

Traffic arrangements

Police said they were planning to use Automatic Number Plate Recognition equipment (ANPR) on key routes around the site to help police track vehicles that are wanted by police or are suspected of being involved in crime.

Motorists are warned to expect congestion and resultant delays in the area of the show for the seven-day period, and anyone not going to the show has been "strongly advised" to avoid the area.

Chief Superintendent Mark Chatterton, police commander for the airshow, said: "Farnborough Airshow is a fantastic event for Hampshire, which brings people into our county from all over the world.

"By working with our partner agencies, our aim is to ensure that everyone enjoys the air show in a safe and secure environment, and the impact on the local community is kept to a minimum.

"Officers will provide high visibility patrols in and around the event and will be engaging with the public throughout the duration of the show.

"But, as always, in order to keep people safe and sound, we need members of the local community and those attending the event to be our eyes and ears, and report to us any suspicious activity.

"By working together we can ensure that this wonderful showpiece event is enjoyed by everybody."

As per previous years, a morning-only one-way system will be put in place on Lynchford Road (A3011) travelling west to get show-bound traffic onto the airfield site.

Eastbound traffic will be diverted through North Camp along Old Lynchford Road, Winchester Street, Netley Street, Alexandra Road, Reading Road and Park Road. This system will only be operational only between 7am and midday daily.

Old Lynchford Road (western end) from the junction with Lynchford Road to its junction with Winchester Street will be made one way while the diversion is in operation to help traffic flow.

Park Road from its junction with Reading Road to its junction with Old Lynchford Road will be made one-way until 5pm on Sunday, July 20.

The Park Road one-way system will be reversed during the air show.

Parking restrictions

While the morning one-way system is running, road closures will be implemented along Netley Street, the western end of Old Lynchford Road, Southampton Street, Osborne Road and Peabody Road. The roads will re-open at midday every day.

All week, the turnings onto the Farnborough Road from Netley Street and Church Road West will be permanently shut off, while Queens Road will be shut off at the Peabody Road end and the Closeworth Road will also be shut at its junction with Park Road.

A number of right-hand turns have also been temporarily banned along the diversion route to keep traffic flowing.

Traffic travelling north and south through Farnborough and North Camp will be encouraged to use Alexandra Road (B3403).

The council has promised to bring in extra parking restrictions to reduce congestion on the major routes into the airfield site, and in some of the residential roads surrounding the air show.

There was some criticism of the system in previous years, with people living in roads to the north of the airfield, such as Arrow Road and Kempton Court, complaining that parking restrictions were not properly policed in 2006, causing traffic problems for residents.

Meanwhile, all roadworks on routes into Farnborough have been suspended until after the show.