New police equipment deployed to prevent vehicle attacks

Scotland Yard has unveiled a new spiked, vehicle-stopping net designed to stop vans and lorries targeting crowds in terror attacks.

The piece of kit, known as Talon, can be deployed by two officers in less than a minute and can stop a vehicle weighing up to 17 tonnes, police said.

The equipment, displayed for the first time at the Naval Association Parade in Whitehall on Sunday, is part of a strategy to tackle mass-casualty terror attacks using vehicles in the wake of atrocities at Westminster, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.

Barriers have already been installed on nine bridges in the capital as well as other popular tourist sites.

The new equipment, similar to the smaller police "stinger" spike strip, is equipped with tungsten steel spikes to puncture the tyres of a vehicle before the net becomes tangled around the front wheels, bringing it to a halt.

The system is also designed to ensure that the vehicle skids in a straight line to reduce the risk to crowds.

The Metropolitan Police said the net is likely to become a familiar sight at events in London.

Chief Inspector Nick Staley, of the Met's protective security operations unit, said: "This equipment undoubtedly has the potential to save lives and is just one of a number of measures being taken to provide protection to crowds attending major events in London and reassuring businesses, workers and visitors as they go about their daily lives."