A safety and security exercise is taking place at the port over the next two days to test major incident contingency plans.

Fort Invicta is being carried out to test response times of emergency services as part of legal obligations to regularly practice for major incidents.

The exercise has been scheduled for a year and preparation started in January.

Police spokesman Jon Green said: "The exercise has not been prompted by any specific threat.

"It is one of a number of routine exercises carried out across the country within the National Counter-Terrorism Exercise Programme under CONTEST, organised to test the response of the emergency services and other partners.

"The exercise has been planned so that local disruption is kept to a minimum. Residents and visitors in the area may notice greater than usual emergency services activity around the port and town on Tuesday and Wednesday but should not be alarmed about this.

"The exercise will not affect day-to-day policing and it will be business as usual for all of the emergency services."

There are road and footpath closures to allow the exercise to run smoothly and the following has been closed for 48 hours from midnight until Thursday:

Royal Harbour Approach between Canterbury Road East and Military Road.

Military Road from its junction with Harbour Approach, to the junction with West Cross wall.

The western extent of Westcliff Promenade through to its Eastern extent (Paragon Promenade) and all sections of footpath South of Westcliff Promenade are also closed.