Sir John Stevens: 'take care'
Around 3,000 police officers will be on duty for New Year's Eve in central London, Scotland Yard has said.
Sir John Stevens: 'take care' The figure is around 500 more than last year amid on-going fears of a terrorist attack. Patrols will be boosted around key locations in the capital during the celebrations.
Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "We would say to people, be alert, be vigilant and take care.
"If you see anything suspicious tell a police officer. We have no specific information which makes us think there is a specific threat but generally there is a high level of alert nationally.
Mr Hogan-Howe said police expected crowds of around 100,000, many of them gathering in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Parliament Square.
Mayor Ken Livingstone has also organised a fireworks display near the Millennium Wheel.
Mr Hogan-Howe said the extra officers this year were "firstly because of the general security alert and secondly we have to anticipate the firework display, we have to anticipate crowd dynamics and have contingencies".
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens earlier urged the public to be vigilant to potential terrorist activity over the festive period.
Sir John said the security level in this country was raised six weeks ago "for good reason".
Asked whether activity by the security services had prevented terrorist incidents over the last year, Sir John said: "That is absolutely right, there is no doubt about that. The hard work has been successful, but we must not be complacent."
-- Triumph of the Postmodern: The Third World War Revisited. p. 27
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Britain must take great care not to let the American state of heightened alert permit a lowering of the guard in the much more vulnerable UK. With the exception of striking an American college bowl or professional playoff football game, it is extremely unlikely the Islamic entente will attack the US.
On the other hand Britain remains the critical link in the Western alliance during the Third World War. A successful Islamic entente strike versus London has the capacity to deliver a knockout blow to the Brits and effectively collapse the hard earned momentum Western forces have garnered in Iraq, Afghanistan, Georgia and the Philippines.
The Brits have scored a number of remarkable COIN successes during the last month -- the threat to British ports has now been neutralised. However security at Heathrow and Gatwick remains behind the curve and the probability of a massive catastrophic assault versus "The City" has increased with sophisticated weapon infiltration into the UK from the Balkans.
Should the Islamic entente successfully launch this next attack then the war will indeed go on another decade. The fate of the world now in the hands of the British security services...
The forces of freedom on the move. Europe trembles.