Armed soldiers guard London amid terror attack fears

ALMOST a thousand armed soldiers were patrolling the streets of London yesterday in a security clampdown which saw them guarding “key locations” including Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, and Parliament.

On a scale not seen since the Second World War and amid fears of an imminent terror attack, 984 fighting men and women replaced armed police at sites.

Operation Temperer, in the wake of the Manchester atrocity and fears of a terrorist network willing to strike again, was put into action after a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee. The Changing of the Guard ceremony was cancelled yesterday, the Palace of Westminster was closed to the public and the galleries at the Old Bailey were made off limits.

A planned victory parade for Chelsea Football Club as Premier League champions was called off.

Amid heightened tensions, a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace yesterday morning after he was found with a knife. The Queen and Prince Philip had passed by in a car just 30 seconds earlier.

Police said the incident is not thought to be terror-related.

Later, soldiers carrying L85 assault rifles, usually only deployed in war zones, patrolled beside Metropolitan Police officers in the streets of Whitehall.

Scotland Yard said the use of the military to provide “static armed guarding at key locations” will free up armed officers to carry out patrols.

Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, the Household Cavalry, and the Irish Guards took up positions at London landmarks to the astonishment of tourists. Military personnel were also on guard at embassies.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “The military are here and a number of locations in London in order to allow us, the police, to put more armed officers on the streets to support the public, and to protect the public and to protect events.”

Ms Dick said there were “clearly a number of unknowns” since the attack on Monday and security services needed to get “a better understanding” of the situation. Extra armed officers will now provide support for an operation called Project Servator, in which uniformed and undercover officers will be on patrol to spot people carrying out “hostile reconnaissance” in London.

Another 2,800 troops are on standby to help police in addition to those deployed yesterday.

It means soldiers could be sent to patrol major events such as the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday and the Champions League final in Cardiff on June 3.