Police leave cancelled as mob warn of G20 mayhem

Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has warned that the sheer scale of the anti-capitalism demonstrations could stretch his force to the limit.

All leave has been cancelled and officers from every London borough are to be brought in.

Fears at the potential for bloodshed escalated yesterday as the anarchists used murderous images to spread their message of hate.

They issued posters of shamed former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin being guillotined and boasted of plans to hang effigies of financiers. Chillingly, they joked that "real bankers" could later be strung up from lamp

posts.

City workers due at the office through next week's protests were told to "dress down" or work from home to avoid being targeted.

The operation will involve 2,500 officers and cost £7million.

Sir Paul said: "This will be one of - if not the - most challenging and complex operations we have ever had to deal with.

"The G20 summit is certainly attracting a significant amount of interest. There is an unprecedented level of protest planned.

"We are seeing the return of some 'old faces' we haven't seen for some time, protest groups who see the G20 as an opportunity to galvanise support for their demonstrations.

"We could see a different sort of protest in London than the sort we are used to. It adds to the difficult and challenging nature of the event."

Police officers from many forces have been drafted in for the demonstrations tomorrow and next Wednesday and Thursday when the summit begins.

They will throw a "ring of steel" around the ExCel Exhibition Centre in Docklands and nearby hotels where visitors are staying.

Every available specialist riot officer will be deployed and thousands of beat officers will be moved in from all 32London boroughs. All 2,600 special constables have been called in, plus regular officers from Essex, Sussex and Bedfordshire.

Security measures will include police checkpoints and covert surveillance teams.

Twenty world leaders, including US president Barack Obama on his first official trip to Britain, and up to 1,000 delegates, will attend the conference.

But Sir Paul, speaking at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "We have the expertise, but that expertise will be challenged."

The undercurrent of violence in the planned protests has sparked fears that anti-capitalist groups will copy the tactics of animal rights activists.

They expect to paralyse the Square Mile with sit-ins and by storming financial offices.

Chris Knight, one of the protest's ringleaders, said yesterday that among hundreds of effigies hung from lamp posts would be that of former RBS chief Sir Fred.

The anthropology professor, 66, added: "I can only say let's hope they are just effigies.

"If he winds us up any more I'm afraid there will be real bankers hanging from lamp posts and let's hope that doesn't actually have to happen.

"They should realise the amount of fury and hatred there is for them and act quickly, because if it isn't humour it is going to be anger."