G8 police get boiler suits to disguise them amid fears Northern Ireland summit could be targeted by terrorists British police guarding the G8 summit will be "disguised" amid fears they could be targeted by Irish dissidents. Extraordinary measures are being taken to protect a contingent of up to 3,600 mainland officers preparing to cross the Irish Sea next month. Chiefs fear they could fall victim to well-armed terrorists intent on grabbing the global spotlight with a violent atrocity. British police guarding the G8 summit will be 'disguised' as their Irish counterparts amid fears they could be targeted by Irish dissidents (stock image) As a result all officers on public order duty during the meeting of world leaders will wear boiler suits and an identical custom-made cap. This will mean that mainland officers are indistinguishable from their Northern Irish colleagues, save for their silver collar numbers. The move comes as preparations to secure the two-day summit on June 17 and 18 at Lough Erne golf resort near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, enter their final stages. Police and the security services are staging the biggest police operation in the province's history because of the continued threat of a dissident attack. More than 8,000 officers will form a ring of steel around the remote resort, which is based on a lake peninsula, and the route from Belfast International Airport. The top priority of organisers is to ensure the safety of world leaders including Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel and their extensive entourages. But they also face a wave of potentially violent protests by a range of organisations from trade unions to anti-globalisation movements. The biggest protest could attract up to 20,000 demonstrators to Belfast, including known activists from across Europe. Shadow demonstrations are also expected in London and Dublin, mainly because the location of the summit is difficult to reach. All officers on public order duty during the meeting of world leaders will wear boiler suits and an identical custom-made cap All this takes place against the backdrop of a stubbornly volatile security situation in the province as terrorist alerts take place daily. Some rank-and-file officers have questioned the Government's decision to stage the summit at such short notice in Northern Ireland. The estimated bill for the security operation has not been disclosed, but sources said it is likely to exceed £10million. Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), said a terrorist attack could take place anywhere. The senior officer, who is responsible for the security operation, said the G8 is a "great opportunity" for dissident groups to grab attention. He said: "I've got no reason to say that dissidents won't do something during that period of time. This has been the backdrop, the sad reality of Northern Ireland over quite a period of time. There is nothing to suggest that the rhythm of that will be disrupted. Officers travelling from England, Wales and Scotland will be based at military barracks and transported in armoured Land Rovers as part of the security crack-down. They have been issued with state-of-the-art bullet proof vests and will be accompanied by armed Northern Irish colleagues. The travelling contingent have been told they will work under "lock down" conditions and are not allowed to go sightseeing in their own time. Hundreds of officers have already been trained in how to work alongside water cannon, a machine expected to be approved for us on the mainland within months. Police commanders said mainland officers will not be deployed to ordinary incidents because of their lack of knowledge of the political make-up of the area. Their PSNI colleagues plan to use drones for the first time to beam down pictures to commanders. They will join two helicopters patrolling the skies between Belfast International Airport and the summit venue. On the ground a huge security fence will be erected around the venue, with stores and other lower priority areas guarded by private firms. Police in the Irish Republic are also heavily involved as the extensive entourages of some countries are staying in hotels south of the border. The Irish Government is passing emergency legislation to enable it to shut down mobile phone networks in a limited area to prevent signals being used to detonate a bomb. Senior officers said the New IRA and ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann) are the most active dissident groups with "real capacity and capability." Republican dissidents attempted a gun and bomb attack on police in Belfast only last Thursday. Officers in Northern Ireland work under constant threat of attack, with car bombs and armed ambushes a deadly reality. The terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland remains "severe" meaning an attack is considered "highly likely."