By GB News (World News) | Created at 2024-12-22 15:31:13 | Updated at 2024-12-22 20:22:14
5 hours ago
The Metropolitan Police has urged Britons to report suspicious activity when attending Christmas markets following a deadly attack in Germany which killed five people and injured over 200.
Armed officers are now patrolling Christmas markets across several UK regions to deter serious crime and terrorism.
The warning comes after a car ploughed through crowds at a packed market in Magdeburg on Friday, claiming the lives of four women and a nine-year-old boy.
German authorities identified the suspect as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi-born doctor who had been working as a psychiatrist in Bernburg since arriving in Germany in 2006.
The Met Police has issued a warning
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Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, head of Protective Security Operations for the Met, urged the public to remain vigilant during the festive period. He said: "We want people to enjoy themselves, but also to stay safe, so we are asking the public to report anything that doesn't look or feel right to us."
Wright emphasised that public reporting plays a crucial role in counter-terrorism efforts.
"Sadly, the threat from terrorism is a real one," he added. "Since 2017, we, along with our partners have disrupted over 40 terrorist plots."
One of Cardiff's Christmas market organisers has raised concerns about security at similar events nationwide, particularly regarding direct vehicle access to shopping areas. Birmingham Christmas Market, one of Britain's largest festive events, reviewed its security protocols but confirmed no changes were required.
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The Rotary Club of Woodhall Spa cancelled its December 6 Christmas fair, citing "insurmountable" health and safety paperwork requirements.
The Met Police recently conducted major incident training exercises at Brentford and Millwall Football Clubs to test terrorism response procedures.
Chief Superintendent Wright stressed that the training exercises were not in response to any specific threat.
"We are prepared but never complacent," he said. "We organise training events all year round at different venues across London."
Social media accounts falsely alleged al-Abdulmohsen was an Islamist terrorist shortly after the attack. However, the German interior minister later identified the suspect as being Islamophobic himself.
A harsh critic of Germany's past, welcoming too many Muslim migrants, al-Abdulmohsen wrote on the platform X that he wished ex-chancellor Angela Merkel could be jailed for life or executed.
In 2015, Merkel implemented an 'open door' policy, which allowed over a million asylum seekers to cross the border into Germany.
