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Manchester attack: 'London remains open' as terror threat raised to critical after bombing, Met chief says

Met Police chief Cressida Dick said armed troops would be taken of London’s streets as soon as possible after they were stationed in key locations following the Manchester attack.

As the UK’s terror threat level has been raised to critical, military personnel were deployed in their hundreds to “key locations” including the Palace of Westminster.

But the police commissioner said the capital remained “open for business”, assuring the public that major sporting and cultural events can continue with minimal disruption.

She thanked the armed forces for providing support in “static posts” to allow more armed officers to patrol the streets following the Prime Minister's announcement on Tuesday night.

Met Chief Cressida Dick says London remains 'open' after terror threat raised (PA)
Met Chief Cressida Dick says London remains 'open' after terror threat raised (PA)

Speaking outside Parliament on Wednesday, just yards from where Pc Keith Palmer was murdered in the Westminster attack earlier this year, she said: "The military are here and a number of locations in London in order to allow us, the police, to put more armed officers on the streets to support the public, and to protect the public and to protect events."

Ms Dick said there were "clearly a number of unknowns" since the attack on Monday and security services needed to get "a better understanding" of the situation before the threat level could be reduced.

She said: "As soon as we no longer need our military colleagues, we will be saying so and we hope that the threat level will reduce from critical.

"When it does, clearly there will be a de-escalation requirement for military colleagues but I am not going to put a timescale on that."

The commissioner joined Major General Benjamin Bathurst, Joint Military Commander for London, visiting troops stationed around the palace, which was closed to the public on Wednesday following Monday's attack.

Asked about whether the sight of troops on the streets would alarm the public, Ms Dick said people were used "to some extent" to seeing the military during events such as the London Olympics in 2012.

She added: "I recognise that this is different and we of course think about that, we think about it carefully.

"I've just been talking to my officers - they are very comfortable to have their military colleagues next to them.

"I think the vast majority of the public will be utterly reassured to know that... we have the ability to call upon and have called upon the military in this way, and actually we now have more armed police officers out on the streets."

Police are working hard to ensure major sporting and cultural events can continue with minimal disruption, she said, adding: "London is open for business."

Ms Dick said: "We are working closely with event organisers, we will be risk-assessing every event.

"We want London to stay open for business because London is open for business. It's our job to keep people as safe as we possibly can."