Armed police to travel on the Tube for the first time ever on New Year's Eve

Armed BTP officers on patrol at London Bridge
AFP
Hatty Collier30 December 2016
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Armed police will travel on London Underground trains for the first time ever on New Year’s Eve, it has been revealed.

Firearms patrols which are routinely deployed at mainline train stations in London are to use the Tube to travel between jobs for the first time in a move to counter the terror threat and to reassure the public.

British Transport Police also announced that extra armed officers would be on duty at train and Tube stations across the capital as revellers welcome in the New Year.

BTP said in a statement: “New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services and we will have officers deployed at train and tube stations across the country to provide a safe environment for all those travelling and working.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers will flock to watch the New Year Fireworks over Thames 
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

“In order to provide further reassurance, we will be extending our regular armed patrols and specialist support – which was also the case last New Year’s Eve.

“You may now regularly see armed officers on the London Underground but they’re just using the tube to get around on their regular patrols.”

From New Year’s Eve onwards armed officers will be seen on the Tube network in central London on a daily basis.

BTP chiefs announced the move in October in the wake of a bomb alert at North Greenwich station but were still holding final discussions with City Hall and Transport for London about when the change would be launched.

Extra police patrols in Soho in the wake of a terror attack on a Christmas market in Berlin
NIGEL HOWARD ©

On Thursday, a senior officer at Scotland Yard said terrorist attacks on crowds in Nice and Berlin had forced police to “adjust” plans for protecting New Year’s revellers.

Metropolitan Police's Detective Superintendent Phil Langworthy sought to reassure the public, saying there were "both over and covert" measures in place for protection.

He said: "Clearly we have been looking at what has happened around the world in terms of Berlin, Nice, etcetera, and have adjusted our plans and continue to adjust our plans.

"We police around 3,500 large events every year including New Year's Eve and we meticulously plan those events - we have meticulously planned New Year's Eve - and we look at our tactics and we look around the world and adjust our tactics if need be.

London New Year's Eve Fireworks 2016

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"We have a very extensive planning period, we plan for many months, pretty much we start planning since the last event."

He added there was "no specific intelligence" for an attack on the end-of-year event, but said: "I would encourage people on the night if they see anything suspicious or have any concerns to come and speak to one of the police officers or stewards who will be on duty."

Huge numbers are expected to ring in the new year on the banks of the River Thames, but partygoers are likely to flood into other parts of central London, including major tourist spots such as Trafalgar Square.

Police urged those who did not have tickets for the set piece firework display, which has again sold out, to watch it from home instead.

Road closures will be put into place from 2pm on December 31, affecting Lambeth, Westminster, Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges.

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