London faces Mumbai-style terror attack: Scotland Yard

In a "severest" warning, the Scotland Yard has said that London faces threat of a Mumbai- style terror attack at key places early next year with the terrorists poised to strike the city using handguns, bombs and hostage-taking techniques.

"Mumbai is coming to London," warned a senior detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police's counter-terrorism command.

In a briefing here 12 days ago, the detective said companies should expect a "shooting and hostage-taking raid involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and improvised explosive devices."

The severest warning issued by police following the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai has underlined an assessment that a terrorist cell may be preparing an attack on London early next year, The Sunday Times reported today.

In Mumbai, 10 heavily-armed gunmen of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group struck at many places in November last year, killing 166 people and wounding 304 others.

Chairman of the Commons counter-terrorism sub-committee Patrick Mercer said the threat was "very real".

The warning was issued by the Metropolitan police through its network of "security forums", which provide business leaders, local government and the emergency services with counter-terrorism advice.