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JD Vance’s Secret Service asks Cotswolds locals for social media details as VP holidays in England: report
US Vice President JD Vance's UK holiday has sparked discontent among some locals, and his security has been accused of carrying out door-to-door checks.
US Vice President JD Vance is holidaying in the posh and picturesque area of Cotswolds in the UK with his family — but his arrival has sparked discontent among locals. Once a peaceful escape from city life, the villages around Chipping Norton and Charlbury are now on high alert with a massive police presence.
But that’s not the worst of it.
Some locals allege that JD Vance’s huge security convoy took up parking spaces reserved for people with mobility issues at Daylesford Organic, near Chipping Norton. According to a report in the Daily Mail, they cordoned off the whole area during the veep’s first full day of family holiday in England.
‘Police knocking on every door’
Perhaps more shockingly, Vance’s Secret Service agents have been accused of knocking on the doors of locals and demanding their names, personal details and social media handles.
“We have had the police knocking on every door,” a dog walker and a resident of the hamlet of Dean, where the Vance family is staying, told Observer.
“They wanted the names of everybody living there and details of their social media. I know several people refused,” he claimed. “We asked them if they were protecting us, or Vance. At least they were honest and said it is for him and that it will all be passed on to the American security people.”
The claims drew the ire of Britons who asked why a foreign service was questioning them.
Police denies claims
However, British police working with Vance’s Secret Service have denied these claims.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told the Daily Mail: “[We] are supporting the United States during the Vice President’s visit to our area to ensure the safety of all involved.
“A restricted access area has been put in place in a small part of Dean as part of our operation.
“We spoke to affected residents to ensure we are able to facilitate movement within the restricted access area. Residents were under no obligation to answer any questions and were not asked about social media.”
