Armed police with machine guns too patrol parts of London is this the future of Britain today?

Larry G	Over the years Britain has allowed thier country to become what it is and now the price has to be paid .. you know if you all had guns in the hands of private citizens you wouldn't need the police there with machine guns so much.. besides what criminals do police really catch anyway? they only catch the ones that are stupid when they do the crime .. so what good are they anyway

Gray Wanderer	That is due to the great "success" of gun control.

Paul B	I was a U.S. Army soldier in Germany in 1984 and 1990. I noticed that the German Polizei carried automatic weapons and police dogs when I was in the airport in Germany. The criminals and terrorists today are very well armed and quite lethal. In order to have any kind of chance in defending themselves, the police have to be well armed and equipped.

Rob Roy	Whilst armed police have been patrolling the airports and various other parts of the UK for years now the idea of putting armed officers into what should be normal policing just highlights the complete failure of this Government over the past twelve years to understand what policing is all about.Rather than set targets and interfere politically for their own purposes they should let the police get on with what the public expect from the police.

joan k	This has been going on for a long time. I see them most days at the Airport. We wouldn't even need armed Police if this government was tough on crime and the do gooders were given the boot.

The Happy wanderer	We have had police with machine guns patrolling parts of London for years,take a walk around the House of Parliament,you can see them every day. Edit: I must agree with what the Devonshire Snoop Sister has said.

Old Folkie	This is a non-story. It happens on a regular basis and is daily routine at Heathrow. We get the Police service we deserve.

Facile Princeps	Armed police have been patrolling the streets of London for several years and in some parts of London children as young as twelve walk the streets carrying guns, and when the police want to stop and search all the liberals politico's of this world scream racist, fascist etc and do everything they can to prevent the police from doing there job

"isitme"	I've just read the news article and one again it illustrates the appalling scaremongering tactics and ignorance of both the press and the public. Armed police officers have been on regular patrol in the UK for around 25 years, it's not made common knowledge because the public don't need to know. All Heckler and Koch MP5 weapons supplied to UK police forces are semi-auto with only single shot capabilty. There's nothing new or unusual in the article, it must have been a slow news day.

ana b	It is the future of the world that is suffering a capitalist crisis. n a economic recession, crime and instability arise, therefore the only way to control a angry population is using the power of guns.

Brendan	Yep..According to Labour this morning Enoch Powells prediction is about to come true.......

Rask Balavoine	Armed police patrol the streets of another major British city and have done so for many years, and it's not that long since soldiers stopped patrolling along with them.

U R Sofa King	Why is that? Is crime that bad in London, or is it for the so called anti-terrorism?

Steve P	Unfortunately Yes. This is the future of the World if we allow the New World Order to come to fruition. This is happening very fast and it may already be too late. Too many dumbed down idiots that won't take a stand against tyranny.

Septimus	We made it necessary so now we are paying the price. Who is to blame?

Blonde H	Yes Britiain is getting old and doesn't play nice with others