Armed police at Paddington station today - AIBU to ask if anyone knows why?

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I was going through Paddington station earlier, and there were armed police in the station and by the underground entrance. Anyone know why?

I’m at Paddington quite a lot (at least a couple of times a week), and this is the first time I’ve seen armed police there.

I see them every week in Newcastle.

This is security theatre - we see it on and off in London. It's meant to make you feel more secure. How a few armed policeman would notice terrorists blended in (eg. dressed as regular office workers) beats me. Most terrorists intent on carrying out an attack would notice them would just come back the next day when they're guaranteed to not be there!

It has the effect of making people believe they are safer and also feel that terrorism is a major problem.

Major route for b/h wkend travel and likely to have received specific intel.

And also - armed police are paid to exist all day. Probably better use of them standing somewhere public then sat in a waiting room, all kitted out, for days on end, ready to go

Hi all. My husband was on the Circle Line platform at 16:48 and reported (to me) that train was being held in station as armed police with dogs were on the platform. They were looking for someone and then got him! According to this eye witness! Trains and life returned to 'normal'...

Yes, ditto. A major sight in stations across the country, these days. Manchester is the same.

It was actually two young lads (WM) teens or early twenties that were apprehended.

You people have good memories of something that happened nearly a year ago...

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I'd imagine they are just there as 'visible' security, supposed to make the general public feel more at ease.

I've seen them all over - at our local station, at the shopping centre, often just walking in town together.

Ooh - old thread!

An inside source says that they were going on a bear hunt.