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Security Barriers Installed On London Bridges

Just days after the terrorist attack on London Bridge and Borough Market that left seven dead and dozens more injured, new security barriers have been installed on roads and pavements on three of London’s bridges.

The steel and concrete barriers were fitted to Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges in what Transport for London (TfL) described as a “precautionary measure”. It comes after three men were able to reach speeds of more than 50mph in a van before mowing down pedestrians walking on London Bridge. Once they crashed the van, the men then attacked people with knives.

Saturday’s attack was not the first in the capital where a vehicle was used as a weapon – in March Khalid Masood killed five people and injured many others when he drove a rental car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. He too exited his vehicle and stabbed a police officer before being shot by police.

Although it is believed that the barriers are only temporary, Westminster Council leader Nickie Aiken told the Evening Standard that she believes they should be made permanent.

She described the measure as “sensible and proportionate”, adding: “The kind of security barrier now in place at Westminster Bridge needs to be part of a permanent solution.”

There have also been reports that the City of London Corporation, which is the municipal governing body for the capital, decided against installing security bollards or railings in the London Bridge area just a day before the attack.

In light of Saturday’s events, there has clearly been a re-think on how to keep pedestrians safe in the capital. The UK’s terror threat level remains at ‘severe’ following the London Bridge attack, and the bombing at the Manchester Arena in May.

If you’d like to install additional security around your business, speak to us to learn more about the various options open to you, including security bollards.