Speaker Martin: representing parliament

Commons speaker Michael Martin is in the US today where he will represent parliamentarians at the September 11 memorials.

The visit comes as security is heightened at home as the UK prepares to remember those who died.

Speaker Martin will attend a series of events to mark the first anniversary of the terror attacks on Tuesday, before attending the formal memorial at ground zero on Wednesday.

He will meet the families of British victims today, after presenting letters on behalf of the House of Commons to the New York fire fighters, police officers and others involved in the disaster.

He will also read a lesson at the service of dedication of the Bell of Hope, donated by the City of London, at Trinity Church, Wall Street.

Tonight's church service will be conducted by the out-going Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey.

On Wednesday the speaker will attend the Battery Park commemorative service, which will be led by New York mayor Bloomberg.

Tony Blair will not be in the US to mark the occasion, although the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, will attend the ground zero memorial tomorrow.

The prime minister will instead attend a memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral, where he will join other political leaders and members of the Royal family to remember those who died as a result of the US terror attacks.

Meanwhile police and security services are set to put the country on high alert, fearing the threat of terror attacks.

Whilst security sources say there is no specific threat, they are not ruling out the possibility of reprisal attacks by Muslim extremists.

Across London, a series of temporary security points will be installed, and security around Westminster and Whitehall is expected to be tightened.

A large number of police officers are also expected to take the streets of London as a visible deterrent.

High profile US installations in the UK, such as the American Embassy, will also be closely guarded on September 11.