Armed police are to travel on London Tube trains following the bomb alert at North Greenwich station, a senior officer revealed yesterday.
Firearms patrols which are routinely deployed on mainline train stations in the capital are to use the Underground to travel between jobs for the first time in a move to counter the terror threat and to reassure the public.
British Transport Police chiefs say they are not deploying armed patrols on the Underground but the firearms officers will use the Tube instead of cars to get round the city in future.
BTP’s deputy chief constable Adrian Hanstock said the plan would mean the public could see armed officers travelling on the network on a daily basis.
He said: “They will stand out and people will see them. We hope they will provide a reassurance that they are there and are able to respond whatever the threat may be.”
Armed officers were deployed on the Tube and railway in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 but the measure was only temporary.
Yesterday’s announcement will mean that officers carrying guns will now be seen on the Tube network in central London on a daily basis.
Armed police routinely patrol main stations such as King’s Cross, Waterloo and Paddington – and the new move means they will crisscross the city as they move between assignments.
BTP chiefs will hold final discussions with City Hall and Transport for London before the change is launched.
Police believe the move will raise the profile of officers on the Tube as well as allowing firearms patrols more time on duty at main-line stations.
However, it is understood to have raised some concerns at City Hall over how Londoners might react to the sight of armed officers on the Tube. The mayor’s spokesperson said: “No decision has been taken on this proposal. It will be discussed between the Sadiq Khan, BTP and TfL in coming weeks.”
In a further move, BTP dog units will also use Tube trains to travel around the capital rather than using vans or cars as they do now.
The new measures were announced yesterday as it emerged that members of the public raised the alarm over the suspected improvised bomb found on a Jubilee line train last week.
Hanstock praised the public and Tube staff for how they responded to the alert. “We are very impressed that the public did everything we have been asking them to do for many years.
“They acted as our eyes and ears and spotted something that was unusual and out of place. They reported it to staff who also made a very careful assessment and, working from a set of principles, also raised the alarm and called in the experts.”
North Greenwich Tube station was closed while the bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on the device last Thursday.
A man of 19 was Tasered and arrested in a Holloway street the following day in connection with the alleged plot. Damon Smith, who had recently started studying at London Metropolitan University, remains in custody.