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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Armed police to be on NYE London Tube trains after Berlin attack

Armed police will be deployed on London Underground trains for the first time on New Year's Eve following a review of security.

The armed officers and other additional patrols have been brought in to bolster the 3,000 officers who will police the capital's streets.

Although armed officers have been visible at Tube stations for some time, they are not routinely seen on Underground trains and platforms.

Transport for London told Sky News that armed British Transport Police officers will be seen on Tube trains from New Year's Eve onwards.

Plans for the BTP to have its own armed division were announced in 2011 but it was only in October that the force said it wants its uniformed marksmen to travel on the Tube.

Concrete barriers have also been erected around the main routes into London to guard against the possibility of a vehicle attack.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that security plans for the Mayor's firework display - and surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations - had been "adjusted" in the last few days.

It has happened because concerns about a possible mass-casualty terror plot targeting the event have intensified following events in Nice and Berlin.

A lorry drove along a packed seafront in Nice in July, killing 86 people, while 12 people died earlier this month when another lorry was driven into Christmas market stalls in Berlin.

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