The biggest terror threat to Britain emanates from “home-based terrorists”, UK’s senior-most counter-terrorism police chief said today and advised people to run away as fast as possible if they get caught up in a terrorist attack.
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Sir Bernard said: “We’ve seen attacks in Germany, we’ve seen attacks in France and Belgium and I think we’d be foolish to ignore that”.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced on Wednesday (August 3) that 600 additional firearms officers will be deployed as part of Operation Hercules.
Meanwhile, 600 more armed officers who appear more like military police than traditional gun carrying cops will be visible in the UK’s capital following recent terrorist attacks across Europe which has left more than 100 people dead.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said that he can not promise an attack will not take place, despite being in charge of preventing them. Gun controls and the fact that Britain is an island mean terrorists would struggle to get the firearms required to repeat attacks similar to those in Europe.
Rowley, the assistant commissioner for Specialist Operations the Metropolitan Police and The National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for counterterrorism, said with the risk of a terror attack classified as “severe” since 2014, “even more public assistance” is needed.
Plans to increase the number of armed police were put in place in the wake of attacks including the atrocity in Paris at the end of past year, when 130 people were killed.
Sir Bernard said: “We tell the public to “Run, Hide, Tell”. They included a plan to shoot police officers on patrol in west London and a plot to mimic Drummer Rigby’s death by using a auto and knives to kill U.S. servicemen.
“I know that with each new outrage and especially those on our doorstep in Europe, there is a greater sense of fear that Britain will be the next victim in this wave of cruel and mindless mass murder”, he said.
Police officer secure the Stade de France stadium after last November’s Paris terror attacks.
However, the Police Federation of England and Wales has warned that counter-terror teams could be waiting for up to two years before the extra firearms officers promised are operational.
Britain’s police force is largely unarmed – out of 120,000 officers, just under 6,000 could carry weapons before the current recruitment drive. One of the ways we get that information is you know your local neighbourhood officer.
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Armed police in London.
