Their permanent presence in the capital for the first time comes as the Met Police is increasing its overall roving armed response teams by three-fold.
Numbers of specialist firearms officers are also being boosted in other British cities over fears of strikes by marauding gangs of terrorists or lone wolf attacks like the Bastille Day atrocity in Nice which killed 84. Reports suggest shopping centres and sports stadiums are are at potential risk.
And Met Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warned at the weekend that a terrorist attack in the UK is a matter of “when, not if.”
He said:“Our threat level has been at “Severe” for two years – it remains there. It means an attack is highly likely – you could say it is a case of when not if.”
Sir Bernard issued a 1,264-word blog to reassure and inform the public about measures being taken by security forces to combat the threat from ISIS-inspired terrorism in the wake of this month’s carnage in Europe.
He said: “We have all watched the recent terrorist atrocities unfold with a terrifying and depressing sense of horror and dread.
“Now 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." “I feel and understand that fear and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack know that you want me to reassure you. I am afraid I cannot do that entirely.”
Numbers of Met armed officers are being increased by 600 to around 2,800, with the dedicated unit of Counter-Terrorism Specialist Firearms now available 24 hours a day for the first time, said Sir Bernard.
The team, part of the Met’s SCO19 firearms command, have lightweight, semi-automatic SIG 516 rifles, wear military fatigues and combat helmets. Members of the unit work with UK special forces like the SAS and SBS, and are trained to abseil from helicopters and operate in marine conditions. The counter-terrorism firearms unit was publicly unveiled for the first time last November at an England vs France football match at Wembley, shortly after the Paris terror attacks.
At that time there were 130 members of the CT gun team, male and female officers solely dedicated to dealing with potential terrorist incidents, but their strength is believed to have increased since then and shift patterns changed to provide constant cover.
