GREATER Manchester Police have warned people to "trust their instincts" as thousands are expected to attend Manchester Pride this weekend.
Officers will have an increased presence across Manchester city centre as celebrations take place over the bank holiday weekend.
Manchester Pride, one of the UK's largest LGBTQ+ festivals, is expected to attract thousands of people from across Greater Manchester and beyond, with events running from Friday, August 28 through to Monday 31.
Greater Manchester Police said officers would be deployed throughout the city centre during the festivities, both day and night, to provide reassurance and respond to any incidents.
Chief Superintendent Dave Meeney, district commander for GMP's City of Manchester division, said: "We're looking forward to supporting the annual Manchester Pride festival.
"Pride weekend is a time of celebration, education, and embracing diversity within our friendly and inclusive city.
"There will be an increased presence of police officers around the city centre during all festivities, day and night, engaging with members of the public and providing reassurance.
"Officers will be on hand if needed and ready to respond to any incidents that may arise. Please feel free to chat to them."
The force said people attending should look out for one another and remain vigilant throughout the weekend.
Mr Meeney added: "We're expecting a busy weekend so if you're attending, please remember to have fun, stay safe, and look out for each other.
"If you see something that doesn't look or feel right, please trust your instincts and bring it to the attention of an officer or a steward. You can also dial 101 or report an incident online.
"In an emergency, always dial 999."
GMP said there would be "no tolerance" of hate crime or criminal behaviour during the celebrations and urged anyone who experiences or witnesses an incident to report it to police immediately.
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The warning comes as travel disruption is expected across Manchester city centre.
According to traffic monitoring service INRIX, delays are expected because of road closures connected to Manchester Pride until early Tuesday morning.
Roads around the Gay Village will remain closed throughout the weekend, while additional closures are planned on Saturday for the Pride Parade, which is due to set off from the Castlefield end of Deansgate at noon before travelling through the city centre and finishing on Whitworth Street.
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