Diplomatic police to be openly armed

AN ARMED member of the Metropolitan Police diplomatic protection squad conferring with colleagues outside the Turkish Embassy in central London yesterday. Up to 100 members of the 430- strong squad are armed at any one time, but now they will no longer conceal their weapons when they patrol outside Downing Street, embassies and government buildings, A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'These officers will now carry guns on the outside of their tunics.' The move, after the recent car bomb attack on the Israeli embassy, was said to be part of an 'ongoing' Home Office review.

(Photograph omitted)