Royal police to show their weapons

Police on royal protection duties are now to wear weapons outside their uniforms so they are easily accessible.

The move is a result of a Home Office review which resulted in the open carriage of firearms by officers in armed response vehicles and more recently uniformed officers outside embassies and government buildings

Uniformed officers of the crack Diplomatic Protection Squad openly displayed their handguns last month following the car bomb attack on the Israeli Embassy.

Four hundred and thirty officers of the Diplomatic Protection Group are stationed outside key government buildings and foreign embassies.

Up to 100 will be armed at any one time.