Scotland Yard on Wednesday stepped up security in time for New Year’s Eve here amid heightened fears of a terror attack in European capitals during the celebrations on Thursday.
More armed officers may be visible on the streets as reports emerged of arrests in Turkey of two suspected ISIS operatives who planned to detonate suicide vests near bars and a shopping centre in Ankara on December 31, the Metropolitan Police said.
“The public will probably see more police officers on the streets as part of our policing plan. They may see more visible firearms officers as well. But it’s all part of the aim of our plan, which is to provide safety and security for those coming into london, and also to reassure — not frighten — people,” a Met Police spokesperson said.
Keith Vaz, Britain’s longest-serving Indian-origin MP and chair of the House of Commons home affairs select committee, asked londoners not to “give into fear”.