The Morant Bay police in St Thomas have dismissed rumours that the traditional grand market activities in the parish will be cancelled because of fears of violence.

Superintendent Jonathan Morrison, head of the St.Thomas police, told THE STAR that those reports were completely false. He said the regular festivities, traditionally held in the town on Christmas eve, would still be allowed. He added that there had been no thought of preventing the activities, neither by the police nor the parish council.

He said the police were preparing to respond to the large crowd that usually descends on the capital at this time of year. "Usually there is a crush between tomorrow morning [today] and Christmas Day, where a lot of people descend on Morant Bay. I don't know if that will obtain this year because of the international crisis, but we have systems in place."

He explained, "A few streets in the town will be closed to vehicular traffic and police presence in the town will be intensified, like everywhere across the island. It will be all hands on deck."