London to invest £5 million in a ‘ring of steel’

A £5 million “ring of steel” has been proposed to protect the heart of London’s financial district and its skyscrapers from terrorist attack. Following advice from MI5 and counter-terrorism police, the Corporation of London plans to install manned checkpoints, rising street bollards, and crash-proof barricades.

Simon Glyn, director of the Built Environment for the City of London Corporation, defended the envisioned security measures.

“The local situation has changed significantly over the past two years with several large-scale redevelopments approved or planned. The scale of these developments requires much greater levels of security than can be delivered on a site-by-site basis and an area-wide solution is recommended,”

-he said, as cited by Evening Standard.

A ring of steel had previously been structured around the perimeter of the city as well more at least 25 years ago after an attack perpetrated by the IRA had occurred against the Baltic Exchange in 1992.

However, after the IRA had agreed to a ceasefire two years later, all police personnel who had manned the checkpoints within the city had left their posts.

“We want to maintain the City of London as one of the safest cities in the world… Because of the high density of offices in the eastern cluster it is only right that we re-examine the security plans for this area of the Square Mile,”

-a City of London spokesman was quoted as saying.