Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after visiting Woolwich Barracks in Woolwich yesterday.


London Evening Standard/London


Troops in London were yesterday told to continue wearing uniform in public after David Cameron stressed Britain should carry on as normal to fight back against the Woolwich terrorists.
Military personnel were advised in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s killing close to the Royal Artillery Barracks not to wear uniform outside their bases.
But at a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall yesterday morning, the prime minister argued that “the best way to defeat terrorists was to continue with normal life”.
A No 10 source said that Wednesday night’s advice was an “understandable reaction” while the circumstances of the attack were still unclear.
But now the security services believe that the killing was an isolated attack rather than part of a more co-ordinated terror strike.
A ministry of defence spokesman said: “Following a review of the situation yesterday morning a decision has been taken to relax some of these temporary measures imposed on Wednesday, including advice to members of the armed forces in London not to wear uniform outside of defence establishments.
“The best way we can defeat terrorism is to carry on as normal and that includes our personnel wearing their uniform.”
Dozens of extra armed sentries were also protecting barracks across London.
In recent years, troops have been encouraged to wear their uniforms in public, as ministers and military chiefs sought to highlight Britain’s pride in its armed forces.
This contrasted to instructions during the Seventies and Eighties to wear civilian clothes in public because of the threat from IRA terrorists.
However, jihadi websites are now encouraging militants to target military personnel in uniform, claiming it is revenge for British, US and other western troops being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, yesterday morning opposed reinstating tight restrictions on military personnel wearing uniforms in public.
“Personally, I would argue against it,” he told BBC radio. He added: “As we saw in this case you don’t need to have somebody in uniform, you just need to have someone who knows a bit about soldiers and does a bit of observation in the vicinity of a barracks and you can identify a soldier very quickly.”
Some of the country’s most high-profile military bases are in London, including Hyde Park Barracks where the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is based, and they are seen as likely terrorist targets.