Simon Hughes

The Liberal Democrats have set out their proposals for preventing a terrorist attack in London.

Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes was on Tuesday set to unveil his 10-point plan during a visit to Canary Wharf, the site of an IRA attack in February 1996. 

Proposals include the merging of the Metropolitan and British Transport Police forces, the establishment of a London Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force to assist the emergency services in the event of an attack, and the appointment of an MI5-trained anti-terrorism expert to advise the mayor on security issues.

Businesses would be trained by the police on how to respond to a terrorist attack, while council tax bills would include the information for residents.

The mayor would host anti-terrorism summits with mayors from across the world on how to combat the threat of terrorism and would promote community events to improve cohesion and understanding of the cultures and faiths represented in London.

On the London Underground network, schemes to encourage tube staff to become special constables would be expanded and police boxes at every mainline station would be manned during rush hour.

Mobile phone access

In addition, talks aimed at installing mobile phone access on the deep line Tube network would be reassessed, in view of the terror threat.

"The war in Iraq increased the risk of terrorism in London even more than before," Hughes said.

"The threat of terrorism has not, and will not, go away. Warnings from the Met Police show that we cannot afford to be complacent.

"The Met Police have done a magnificent job so far in preventing an attack on London, but it is vital that sensible, simple measures are taken to stay one step ahead of any terrorist plans.

"My proposals aim to both prevent a terrorist attack by encouraging more vigilance, and better protect people if there is an attack."

Party leader Charles Kennedy was also in attendance at Canary Wharf.

"As mayor of London, Simon will be dedicated to prioritising the safety of the city's citizens without infringing their civil liberties," he said.