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Summary Royal Marines and Metropolitan Police work together on pre Olympic security exercise in Thames.
Royal Marines will help make the river Thames part of a ring of steel to protect London from attack during the Olympics.On Thursday, nearly one hundred marines took part in a familiarisation exercise with their counterparts from the Metropolitan Police.Although there is no known river-based threat to the games, police want to prepare for an attack similar to that in Mumbai, India, in 2008, when gunmen killed 164 people after arriving in the city on boats.For an hour on Thursday, various police and Royal Marine boats patrolled the Thames, and were supported from the air by a Lynx helicopter from the Royal Navy.They practiced stopping and boarding a suspect boat, as well as measures to bring it to a halt if its crew fail to stop.But despite the presence of armed military personnel, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Alison insisted that the role of the armed forces in providing security for the Olympics would be minimal.Major Paul Stitson, of the Royal Marines, said Thursdays exercise allowed his men to familiarise themselves with the Thames, a fast-moving, tidal river that can often be difficult to navigate.
