Security tightened on UK streets to combat Mumbai-style terror attacks before Christmas

LONDON - Security has been tightened on Britain’s streets ahead of Christmas over fears that the country could be targeted by terrorists to carry out Mumbai-style attacks on the public places like shopping centres.

According to the Sun, the possible target places could be the swish Westfield mall in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, and Kent’s Bluewater complex.

In London, the Met Police’s CO19 firearms unit have been ordered to keep within a three-minute drive of possible targets including Canary Wharf.

Last week Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson warned that “terrorists search for weaknesses and vulnerabilities”.

The paper quoted a security source as saying: “The threat just hasn’t gone away.”

The alert has come after growing fears that fanatics inspired by al-Qaeda have planned to carry out similar kind of attacks like that in Mumbai, which rocked the Indian business capital two years back in which 175 people were killed and hundreds others were injured.

In the wake of such threats, civilian staff at the Met’s three 999 emergency call centres have been briefed on how to deal with a “mass shooting,” and the strategy has been codenamed as ‘Operation Plato,’ the paper said. (ANI)