THE PROTECTORS

Three faces of forces out on street yesterday

THE new face of anti-terrorism was unveiled yesterday as officers from three specialist units descended on Parsons Green.

British Transport Police’s specialist firearms officers ran through the streets as they attempted to defuse the situation in the wake of the Tube blast.

The elite officers are trained to respond to terror threats and work throughout the London Underground Network.

The unit, which was launched in 2002 to respond to terror attacks on public transport, carry Glock 1 pistols and LMT Defender AR-15 variant rifles.

Officers from the unit were introduced on trains in May this year, just days after the Manchester terror attack, and have been patrolling the London Underground since December 2016.

The London Fire Brigade deployed their new special officers, who were dressed for a marauding terrorist firearms attack (MTFA).

The firemen were dressed in red protective ballistic vests, helmets and steel toe cap boots as they ran into the ‘hot zone’ at Parsons Green station.

The officers are specifically trained to treat casualties in the wake of a terror attack and were used for the first time during the London Bridge atrocity in June.

The Metropolitan Police’s elite counter- terrorist firearms officers also patrolled the scene and ran down the train tracks in the aftermath of the attack yesterday.

The specialist unit, introduced in August 2016, was armed with SIG MCX Carbine rifles and Glock SLP pistols as they surrounded the station.

The 600-strong team of officers was unveiled after a wave of terror attacks hit mainland Europe last summer.