Armed police

Yes it is necessary, every day the a Police put their lives on the line for us. This is what the terrorists have done to us. Terrorists lives are cheap because of their heavenly reward, they will strike everywhere and anywhere.

Unfortunately entirely necessary, particularly as arrests have been made in sussex. The authorities are erring on the side of caution, nothing wrong with that.

I was delighted to see 4 armed police in Bournemouth this afternoon .....

Yes Inishowen and Coolgran, police in N Ireland have always been armed, even before the Troubles. I still find it odd that here in England police are expected to put their lives on the line daily in facing all crime, not just terrorist related, without being armed.

On Wednesday there were sniffer dogs around at Chelsea Flower Show, not smelling flowers I guess, no obvious police inside.
On Thursday there were several police, some armed on the concourse at Euston. I was surprised then reassured to see armed police, one male, one female, on my train. They were among the first to be deployed on trains from Euston and went through the train greeting passengers. There was an announcement that it was a training exercise, presumably to prevent panic. They were accompanied when they returned by a man with a heavy camera and a woman who told us she was a reporter for ITV.
On Friday and again today I wasn't at all surprised to see armed police in the hospital foyer, again I felt reassured. I guess it's going to be routine for a while.

Like Inishowen.... I don't remember a time when our police officers were not armed, including female officers. Checking under the car in the mornng etc.
The enemy unseen.

Here in Northern Ireland all police officers are armed. You get used to it and don't notice the guns.

Oh I miss the well dressings! I really enjoyed them when I lived in Duffield.

Sorry to keep harping on about France, but we've had our share too.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_France
Last year, after the Nice attack, the policing of schools, festivals concerts etc was increased. Sometimes the Army replaced the police.
Near us, in a tiny market town, we have a country Music festival every July, and last year there were armed police checks on all vehicles moving round the area.
There are 2 branches of police here, one more for civilian jobs, and the other militarised (Gendarmerie.)

Living in Devon, not far from Newton Abbot, a young man who had lived there (nice house) has just been jailed for trying to place a bomb on a tube train. A few years ago there was also a bomb that went off in the toilets of a fast food chain in Exeter.

I remember going to Northern Ireland just over 30 years ago to stay with friends. Armed Police on the streets came as a bit of a shock. I would feel safe seeing armed officers around.

Something that we have to expect now. We are at war with these terrorist and anything can happen even in a little village, seaside or city. Our police are there for our safety.

Thank you Glammananna

Oh that read wrong. We didn't have a house - there was a house locally I meant to say.

Yes we are only about 10 miles from Shoreham, which is a reasonably affluent seaside/riverside town. Who'd have thunk!!!!

They are like wood worms -squirrel their way in without you really noticing.

It is difficult to know though. We have a house that was to let a while back - it has since been sold, but a Muslim family lived in it for a while. They had at least 6 children, and the young mums around here all tried to befriend the family by asking the children to parties, days in garden etc. But everyone was rebuffed and totally ignored if you smiled and said good morning. Would you be suspicious of such behaviour? They have since disappeared -overnight. The house was suddenly empty. I mean that in itself could simply mean that they hadn't paid their rent who k owns, but it does make it difficult - as they are neighbours with a little (well largish) family.

or like this paddyann by very brave police officers:

Local television footage aired on Kurdistan 24 TV shows a group of police officers holding the young boy while two men are seen cutting off a belt of explosives. After they remove the belt, the boy is seen being rushed into a police truck and driven away

It was on the news whitewave

paddyann they may not be able to but they could clear the area of innocent people and isolate him/her.

I've changed my mind-I realise now why the police were there. As you were folks!!!

If only there were enough, putting armed women police officers on the street would certainly be a deterrent, Daesh believe that if you are killed by a woman, you don't go to heaven.

I too feel comforted by an increased presence of armed police. We also live in a sea side town and it was lovely to see the police interacting with children and their parents over the weekend.

This is the start of which unfortunately is to be our future.
Unlike WW11, and for those who were living in the UK, the enemy was flying above us and we were warned when they were approaching.
The enemy today is 'unseen'We have no warning.
I will feel safer with our armed police on the streets.A deterrent maybe or maybe not to those whose sole intent with their disturbed minds is to destroy our way of life? What is the option? Stick our head in the sand and it will go away?

Glammananna, are you dismissing my concerns as a joke or another post?

Sorry above reply to marionk

Probably the worst thing that could be joked about when the Country is on such a high security alert.

My fear is a repeat of the Charles de Menezes killing

When the IRA were blowing up various parts of London people got on with it as best they could as it was seen as one of the risks of living in a huge City. When they put a bomb in a waste bin in Warrington there was an enormous outcry which, eventually, led to the Peace talks and an end to the bombing. Terrorists know that people in large cities are likely to shrug things off and try to carry on - it is why they select targets where people wouldn't normally expect anything untoward to happen, it gives them maximum impact in the shock/horror of their cowardly act. Any gathering, large or small, could be a target. Being stopped/turned away/shot before you can detonate your bomb is not going to get you your heavenly reward - the presence of armed police (and you don't know if there are plain clothed police officers in the crowd too) is your best chance of deterring one should a terrorist be present.