Soldiers should guard London, says police chief

Armed troops could take on some policing duties in London under a plan suggested by Britain's top police officer.

Met chief Sir Ian Blair has suggested that soldiers could be brought in to reinforce the capital's security.

Speaking at the Police Superintendents' Association conference in Warwickshire, Sir Ian called on officers to be "bold" and consider a range of radical changes to police pay and working practices.

His plan to regularly deploy troops on the streets of the British mainland is unprecedented and would be controversial, particularly in the wake of his force's shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in July.

Sir Ian told delegates: "Could we bring staff directly in from the armed forces, give them a small amount of basic training and then clear instructions as to their firearms duties... to undertake only those duties?"

Other non-police officers could be brought in on short-term contracts to carry out surveillance and financial investigations or to work as mounted officers or underwater search teams, Sir Ian suggested.

He also set himself on a collision course with rank and file officers by demanding the abolition of the body which negotiates police pay on a national basis.

The commissioner said there should be an "escalator of powers" which could vary the powers available to police officers and other workers such as civilian community support officers.

He told delegates: "We should press for the abolition of the Police Negotiating Board and move towards regional agreements around pay and conditions for police officers."