Around 3,000 extra officers will be visible on the streets amid public fears of a possible terrorist attack on a major city in Europe.
London is among other cities across Europe and the US to take extra precautions. Austrian authorities in Vienna have said that a "friendly" intelligence service has issued a warning to capital cities in Europe of the possibility of a shooting or bomb attack taking place in crowded places between Christmas and New Year.
Public urged to plan ahead for New Year’s Eve https://t.co/JocGhL6aYs pic.twitter.com/SNh0pYcy39
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) December 29, 2015
According to Jo Edwards, spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan Police Service: "The public can expect to see additional police officers in central London, which includes an increased number of firearms officers.
"Our plans are purely precautionary and not as a result of any specific intelligence," said Edwards.
London New Years terror threat, not going now ✋🏻
— Biancs (@BiancaKennewell) December 29, 2015
There will also be a bigger armed police presence at railway and tube stations in central London and 650 extra transport police drafted in.
Labour MP and chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, has urged people in London to carry on as normal.
"We should never allow the threat of terrorism to frighten us into changing our normal lives. We need to continue with our celebration. Given the current climate, of course we should be extra vigilant and continue to be well protected but if we give into fear then they would have won," Keith Vaz told The Telegraph in London.
2 suspects arrested in #Belgium over #NewYearsEve terror attack plot https://t.co/o3UaOxTIhn #waronterror pic.twitter.com/SC4x3v8P1z
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 29, 2015
Meanwhile, in Belgium, two people have been arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack in Brussels on New Year's Eve.
