Inside the biggest security operation

THOUSANDS of soldiers, pilots and police officers are tonight preparing to take part in the biggest security operation ever mounted in Britain.

Much of London’s airspace has been shut to civilian traffic.

RAF Typhoon pilots attached to the Quick Reaction Alert force – tasked with protecting Britain’s skies from any threat – will tomorrow be circling at 35,000ft, ready to tackle any air threat.

On the ground, more than 1,300 soldiers and 200 military police officers will assist 10,000 Metropolitan Police in a operation co-ordinated by Counter Terrorism Command.

Army bomb disposal teams and search dogs will inspect the funeral route as police seal letter boxes, remove bins and seal drains.

Armed undercover SAS soldiers will mix with

‘We are ready to counter any threat’

crowds and have their own quick-reaction force on stand-by.

Carrying Sig Sauer sidearms and concealed M4 ultra-compact assault rifles, they will operate under the police command unless a major incident occurs and they are given precedence.

The Special Forces soldiers will deploy in 20 four-man teams dispersed into the crowds.

A further 100-strong force from the Special Forces Support Group will be poised at RAF Northolt, ready to be flown to where they are needed in case of a major terror alert.

Counter-drone teams will be stationed across London and Windsor, with electronic jamming devices to thwart any potential drone attack.

Special Forces soldiers – some in police uniform – will walk alongside the funeral cortege.

A source involved with planning said: “We are ready to counter any threat, from a lone-wolf terrorist to sophisticated armed drones, and anything in between.”