SAS snipers will protect a million revellers at the Notting Hill Carnival this bank holiday weekend - after a spate of ISIS-linked terror attacks across Europe, it has been reported.
The elite British Army unit's sharpshooters have been trained to stop vehicles ploughing through crowds by smashing engine blocks with armour-piercing bullets in the wake of the attacks in France, according to the Sunday Times.
An ISIS 'lone wolf' terrorist used a truck to run down revellers celebrating Bastille Day in the city of Nice on July 14 – killing 84 people.
There are fears copycat jihadis could target the event, which is Europe's largest street party.
The murderous terror group has called on killers across the world the replicate the Nice atrocity .
Meanwhile, the Met Police is setting up road blocks and deploying highly-skilled officers known as 'super recognisers' who can recall offenders’ faces after seeing them briefly either in person or on file in a CCTV control room.
This year the Met will also use a facial recognition system which can assist in identifying troublemakers and wanted offenders, and elite armed terror cops will be on standby.
The technology involves the use of cameras which scan the faces of those passing by and flag up potential matches against a database.
The database has been populated with images of individuals who are forbidden from attending Carnival, as well as individuals wanted by police who it is believed may attend Carnival to commit offences.
Met spokesperson for Carnival, Superintendent Robyn Williams, said: "The threat level for London has been set at 'severe' for some time now and remains at this level for Carnival 2016.
"Although there is no intelligence to suggest any increased threat to Carnival, police are asking anyone attending to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police."
The carnival hits the streets of London at the end of the month - much to the delight of partygoers in the capital.
Known as Europe's biggest street party, it's likely to attract up to a million people.
The carnival has been running annually since 1966, and is a marker of the summer for many residents of the capital and beyond.
Taking place every August Bank Holiday weekend, the carnival is an amazing array of sounds, colourful sights and social solidarity
A way for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions, it features steel bands, flamboyant dress, amazing food and family-friendly entertainment.