Met Police has issued a warning to the British public to report any suspicious activity when attending Christmas markets in the wake of the devastating attack in Germany.
At least five people have been killed and over 200 people injured after an SUV ploughed through a crowd of people at the packed market in Magdeburg on Friday.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, the suspected attacker, was arrested at the scene.
Authorities described him as a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who came to Germany in 2006 and had been working as a psychiatrist in Bernburg.
Four women aged 45 to 75 were killed in the attack, as well as nine-year-old boy André Gleißner.
UK police have issued repeated warnings to members of the public attending similar events in Britain, urging them to be on their guard and to report anything suspicious.
Armed officers were seen patrolling Christmas markets across several regions, with the aim of deterring ‘serious crime and terrorism,’ The Telegraph reported.
Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, head of Protective Security Operations for the Met said: ‘At this time of year, we naturally see more people heading out and about to enjoy the festive period.
‘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.
‘The power of public reporting should not be underestimated. It is never a waste of time to speak to us, or submit an online report.
‘Sadly, the threat from terrorism is a real one, so it is vital that we have the support of the public, which helps our own operations and activity to keep everyone safe.
‘Since 2017, we, along with our partners have disrupted over 40 terrorist plots.
‘That is down to many dedicated, specialist officers and staff, but also due to the public helping us in that crucial work.’
According to The Telegraph, The Rotary Club of Woodhall Spa said due to an ‘insurmountable’ level of health and safety paperwork, it was no longer feasible to host a Christmas fair due to be held on December 6.
Meanwhile, one of the organisers of Cardiff’s Christmas market has questioned the security at a number of similar events around the country, particularly that in many cases, cars have direct access to where shoppers are gathered.
Birmingham Christmas Market, which is one of the largest of such events, has reviewed its security measures following the attack in Germany.
But organisers confirmed no changers were required and staff remain vigilant.
The Met said it recently ran major incident training exercises at Brentford and Millwall Football Clubs as part of its programme to test and improve the response to a terrorism attack.
‘It is important to stress these exercises are not in response to any specific intelligence or threat of attack at any particular venue in London,’ Chf Supt Wright added.
‘We are prepared but never complacent. We organise training events all year round at different venues across London to improve the preparedness of police and emergency services partners in dealing with different terrorism attack scenarios.
‘These are vital in building up the knowledge and experience of the first responders to a major incident.
‘The public in London should feel reassured the city has some of the most well-trained emergency services in the UK.’
Social media accounts falsely alleged al-Abdulmohsen was an Islamist terrorist shortly after the attack, but 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.
