Armed police squads, a ring of steel and facial recognition technology will feature in the ‘biggest sporting security operation of the year’ around Saturday’s Champions League final in Cardiff.

Juventus take on Real Madrid at the National Stadium of Wales, Cardiff and police in the Welsh capital have stepped up security to unprecedented levels to keep the 200,000 expected visitors safe, with the final coming less than a fortnight after the bomb attack in Manchester that left 22 dead.

Cardiff Bay and sections of the River Taff will be closed and fan zones sectioned off with barriers to ensure the thousands of fans gathering in the streets cannot be targeted by rogue cars or lorries.

More than 2,000 police officers will be on patrol and the stadium roof will be closed to ensure any potential drone strikes are not an issue.

Bags have been banned from the venue, with two giant lorries serving as bag drops. Facial recognition software will see cameras in the city monitoring visitors.

Images will be checked against watch lists for terrorists and hooligans.

By Mail