A number of broadcasters who have reporters permanently stationed outside the Palace of Westminster to report on the unfolding political dramas in the UK have pooled their resources to hire private security for their staff.

Buzzfeed reported that Sky News, the BBC and ITN (which produces news for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) have decided to pay for the extra security after an incident involving pro-Trump protestors last week.

Owen Jones, a left-wing activist, was filming a TV segment last week, alongside Tom Newton Dunn, the Sun’s political editor, when a group of protestors verbally harassed him and shouted homophobic abuse at him.

With Theresa May facing a vote of no confidence from her party this week, not to mention the ongoing Brexit crisis, there’s a large contingent of media present at Westminster to follow any developments.

The news provider shared some of the content of an email from Sky News, which explained that police in the capital “do not have the resources to staff the green with a permanent uniformed security presence”.

As a result, private security has been hired by the broadcasters to protect their teams.

It isn’t only the media who are turning to personal protection services. Last month Guardian journalist Sonia Sodha pointed out that in 2015 there were 50 per cent more security guards employed in the UK than police officers.

She blamed a number of factors for making people feel that they need additional protection, including the cuts to police funding and the fact that the digital realm has made it much more challenging and labour-intensive for police to investigate crimes.