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Armed cops to travel on London's underground for first time

Xinhua, October 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Armed police officers are to become a regular sight on British capital's underground trains under a plan revealed Wednesday.

The announcement by the British Transport Police (BTP) came just hours before London's Metropolitan Police said a teenager is in custody and due to appear in court Thursday morning in connection with an explosive substance found on a London tube train last week.

Already highly visible at mainline train stations such as Kings Cross, St Pancras and Euston in London, armed officers will be seen on underground trains under the plan announced by BTP.

BTP say it wants its officers to use underground trains to travel around London during their deployments. Currently the BTP armed cops make their journeys in patrol cars.

The force said it believes passengers seeing armed police on the world-famous tube service will be reassuring. The force also said the plan had been in discussion for some time and was not linked with the incident at North Greenwich involving the arrested teen.

BTP's Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said the move would mean the public seeing armed officers travelling on the Tube on a daily basis.

Hanstock said in a media interview Wednesday: "They will stand out and people will see them. We hope they will provide a reassurance that they are there and they are able to respond whatever the threat may be."

The London Evening Standard reported: "Today's announcement will mean that armed officers will now be seen on the Tube network in central London on a daily basis."

In 2005 armed officers were deployed for a temporary period on the underground in response to the 7/7 bombings.

BTP chiefs are holding final discussions with the office of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Transport for London before the change is introduced.

Hanstock told the Evening Standard there was a risk that the sight of armed police on the Tube network might increase people's fears of terrorism.

But he added: "It is a risk we are prepared to take. We understand that people don't want to be confronted with the reality of the threat that the UK faces but it is clear and obvious that we have this severe threat level from terrorism. Hopefully people will be reassured that we have got the measures in place to counter that threat."

The Metropolitan Police in London said Wednesday night a 19-year-old man is to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court Thursday (Oct 27) charged in connection with an incident on a tube train at North Greenwich Underground Station last week.

Damon Joseph Smith, 19, from southeast London, has been charged with unlawfully and maliciously making or having in his possession or under his control an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in Britain. The charge comes under the Explosive Substances Act of 1883.

The charge follows the discovery of a suspicious item on a tube train at North Greenwich Underground Station on Oct. 20.

BTP have 700 officers stationed in London, but the force won't say how many carry firearms. Britain's biggest force, the Metropolitan Police recently announced it is to increase the number of armed officers by 600 to 2,800. Endit