Mumbai attacks: UK Navy, police step up patrolling on River Thames

London, Dec.6 (ANI): In the wake of last week's terror attacks in Mumbai, the British Royal Navy and the police have stepped up patrolling along the River Thames to prevent the possibility of a Mumbai-style terror attack.

The Telegraph quoted London's Mayor Boris Johnson as saying that the security arrangements on the river through the heart of the city are being reviewed ahead of the London 2012 Olympics."There is a great deal of work going on. There certainly are extensive preparations to stop a Mumbai-style operation on the Thames. They have thought all that through. There is substantial organisation to guard against the possibility of some sort of riparian assault," The Times also quoted him, as saying.

"Obviously this is something we have to think about, particularly for the Olympics," he added.

A broad review by Government counter-terror analysts of security operations has been launched. It will examine whether the Thames is patrolled sufficiently at present, from its mouth to west of the capital.

Metropolitan Police marine support units already patrol a 65-km-long stretch of the river, from Dartford Creek to Hampton Court, with the Special Boat Service on standby in case of attack.

Police have also carried out test operations near the Olympic site to ensure they eliminate any opportunities for a fast-waterborne attack.The river has been diligently patrolled by the security services ever since the 1991 IRA mortar attack on Downing Street.

Most boats are subject to a 230-foot-long exclusion zone, and passenger boats going to and from Westminster Pier are strictly licensed and monitored.(ANI)