GETTY Special forces will monitor crowds in the UK's major cities

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Special forces will monitor crowds in London’s Trafalgar Square, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh as they let in the New Year. Snipers will be equipped with a Barrett Light .50 rifle, which can stop a vehicle at almost a mile. Shooting vehicles being used as weapons by terrorists is considered to be one of the most effective ways of preventing any potential attack. A source told the Daily Star: “New Year’s Eve is a nightmare for police and security forces because so many people are concentrated in small areas.

“Snipers have been positioned at key locations to ensure all routes leading to areas like Trafalgar Square are covered. “They will be using armour-piercing ammunition and the world’s most powerful sniper rifle. “It was initially designed to take out lightly armoured vehicles, so it should have no trouble stopping a car.” There have been threats made online by jihadis who claim they will cause chaos at New Year’s Eve celebrations.

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A mock-up even shows an explosion on the banks of the Thames during the annual fireworks display in which tens of thousands go every year and 500,000 are expected tonight. The video also shows a train derailing, a car ploughing into a crowd and it calls on terrorists to attack nightclubs. The current UK threat level is “severe” following several terror attacks earlier this year.

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The Ministry of Defence said it does not comment on special forces operations. The Foreign Office warned people to be “vigilant” at events across Europe, but people may be safer with the special forces surveying the scene. The SAS will use night-vision equipment and thermal-imaging cameras to allow them to take out terrorists at night and in any weather. There will also be teams in helicopters to monitor the cities.

EXPRESS The snipers will use armour-piercing ammunition

The rifles they are using are capable of achieving a first-round kill at more than 1,400m during daylight and up to 800m at night. The SAS think the Westminster and the London Bridge attacks could have been stopped if a sniper with a Barrett .50 was present. The weapons can bring a vehicle to a halt by either killing the driver or destroying the engine block. As well as SAS teams being present, there will also be armed police on patrol along with covert officers and dog units.

GETTY The SAS said the London Bridge and Westminster attacks could have been stopped