Locals in Edinburgh could be forgiven for thinking police from as far afield as Manchester, Shropshire and Wales had taken a drastic wrong turn as part of the policing operation for COP26.
Thousands of officers have been seconded from forces around the UK to assist in tightened security as the capital welcomed hundreds of high-profile delegates for the crunch Glasgow talks.
Around 120 heads of state are to appear at the meeting on climate change over the course of the 12-day event - with several including Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden based on this side of the M8.
It means residents in the capital could get used to seeing the branding of other forces in the city until visitors head home on November 12.
One image snapped on Sunday evening shows a row of police vans from a variety of forces lined up outside a hotel in Fountainbridge where delegates travelling to and from the conference are currently staying.
Others have also reported seeing bomb disposal experts and other vehicles parked up in strategic locations around the capital as part of the security programme around the Glasgow conference.
Mustering and rendezvous points for officers have been identified at certain locations, allowing teams to respond to any emergency incidents quickly.
A Police Scotland briefing document released in June stated around 10,000 officers would be deployed each day during the conference, described as “one of the biggest mobilisation of police assets the UK has ever seen.”
It added a “substantial number” of officers from other parts of the country were to be drafted in to assist in the policing operation, with several spotted around the city in the early days of the summit.
Estimates in a policing bill that went before the Scottish Police Authority in February last year put the cost at £250 million, but that was before the meeting was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: “This is a significant operation for any police service and will involve one of the biggest mobilisation of police assets the UK has ever seen.
“While the policing of an event of this size puts incredible demand on our resources. The strength of our national police service allows us the flexibility to ensure that our communities will receive the same very high standards of service during this fortnight.
“Local policing officers will continue to police local communities and I would encourage members of the public to speak to those officers to raise any concerns
“While there is no specific threat relating to the event, we will be prepared for any eventuality."
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