Specialised operational tactics to deal with the threat of a deadly attack are operational matters for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers published its review of the police response to the threat of suicide terrorism on 7 March 2006, which concluded that tactics to deal with the threat of suicide terrorism remained fit for purpose.
All police use of firearms is subject to the usual law on the use of force. The Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime. The law applies to the operational tactics developed by police to deal with suspected suicide bombers as it does in any other case.
Information on the number of armed police officers is not collected by the Home Office. Information on authorised firearms officers is collected at police force area level, and the latest published figures show that on 31 March 2006 there were 2,331 AFOs in the Metropolitan police and 86 in the City of London police.