Armed police were out in force in London yesterday as Scotland Yard put officers on a precautionary high alert to reassure the public and deter would-be attackers.
The July 7th suicide bombings, which killed 52 people, and the July 21st incidents both took place on a Thursday and police were addressing public concern that another attempt to bomb the transport system might be made yesterday.
Officers carrying MP5 sub-machine guns and Glock 17 pistols patrolled Leicester Square and Underground and mainline railway stations in the biggest Metropolitan Police operation since the second World War. An estimated 6,000 officers, 3,000 of whom were armed, were patrolling London as the city woke to another Thursday, many probably fearing a further terrorist attack.
About 900 police officers were brought in from other forces. In London all leave was cancelled and detectives got back into uniform for yesterday's operation. Mounted police were on the street outside Victoria station and officers conducted random searches at the turnstiles.
A senior police source said that officers were not responding to a specific threat but to the fact that the previous attacks had taken place on a Thursday.