Huge gun guard protects New Year party revellers
millions of revellers around the world celebrated new Year in style last night – while Britain prepared for the countdown with record numbers of armed police on the street.
Unprecedented numbers of armed officers were deployed across the UK to protect party-goers from the threat of terror.
in london, which suffered four major attacks in 2017, more than 3,000 marksmen were positioned at key locations on the city’s streets and Tube network.
Extra street barriers were put up to stop terrorists using trucks to target crowds of revellers. more armed officers were also deployed in other major cities including manchester, where a suicide bomber killed 22 at an Ariana Grande concert in may.
Police chiefs put the security measures in place after islamic state released a video calling for so- called lone wolf extremists to launch attacks on new Year’s Eve celebrations. in a video originating in somalia, an English-speaking jihadi is seen calling on ‘brothers’ to hunt down and slaughter ‘non-believers’.
The video, distributed on YouTube and Google, shows an explosion at Big Ben, a train coming off its tracks and a car hitting people in a street.
While there is ‘no specific threat’, police say security plans were beefed up to include vehicle barriers, covert officers, dog teams and marine units on the Thames.
The total number of officers on duty in london was smaller than in previous years because police chiefs believed the deployment of more marksmen provided a better protection against terrorists. london was hit by four major terrorist incidents in 2017, including Westminster attack at in london march Bridge. and June’s
scotland Yard superintendent nick Aldworth said: ‘We will have the right response of officers at the right locations.’ some 100,000 have bought tickets for a firework display on the banks of the Thames. new York, Paris and Rome have also received threats from is.
in manhattan, officials said a new Year party in Times square was marked by the tightest security ever – with police snipers on duty.
in Berlin, a ‘safe zone’ was put in place for women following a spate of sex attacks by migrant men. in 2016, some 1,200 women were sexually assaulted by a group of around 2,000 men in Cologne. The security operation came as major cities marked the new Year with spectacular firework displays. in sydney, the Harbour Bridge was illuminated by a pyrotechnical rainbow ‘waterfall’ to celebrate the legalisation of gay marriage.
UK revellers escaped a lashing from storm Dylan as gales that hit coastal areas during the day failed to disrupt new Year’s Eve celebrations.
The Atlantic storm brought gusts of up to 76mph before sweeping out into the north sea, leaving widespread showers in its wake.
Lone wolf extremists