Armed Forces Day parades are going ahead as normal, despite reports IS suicide bombers planned to kill and injure soldiers from Woolwich regiments.
The Sun claimed leading figures in IS plotted to plant a bomb at the Merton parade today (June 27), killing soldiers and bystanders.
The Merton parade was targetted because it was the closest one to Lee Rigby’s former barracks, the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, it is alleged.
The plot to explode a pressure cooker bomb failed after one of IS' leaders in Syria unwittingly recruited an undercover investigator from the newspaper to carry it out, the report said.
It is alleged that a leading figure in IS, whom it named as Junaid Hussain, originally from Birmingham, told the investigator: "It will be big.
“We will hit the kuffar (unbelievers) hard InshAllah.
“Hit their soldiers in their own land. InshAllah.
“Soldiers that served in Iraq and Afganistan will be present.
“Jump in the crowd and detonate the bomb.
"They think they can kill Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan then come back to the UK and be safe.
“We'll hit them hard InshAllah."
The newspaper said the plot to bomb the parade in Merton was thwarted when it told police and security services about it.
The parade was targeted because it was closest to the barracks in Woolwich, where Fusilier Rigby, 25, was murdered by Islamist extremists in 2013, the newspaper said.
Fusiliers from his regiment, serving Gurkhas and war veterans will be among the 250 marchers, it added.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The police, together with our security partners, remain alert to terrorist threats that may manifest here or where individuals overseas may seek to direct or inspire others to commit attacks in and against the UK.
"It is always helpful when journalists share with us information, as The Sun did in this case, that could indicate terrorist or criminal activity.
"Attacks yesterday show the global nature of terrorism and the threat level in the UK from international terrorism remains unchanged at severe.
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"While the UK threat level from international terrorism remains severe, we would like to reassure the public that we constantly review security plans for public events, taking into account specific intelligence and the wider threat.
"Our priority is the safety and security for all those attending or involved, the public are encouraged to continue with their plans to attend or take part in events as normal."
Police are asking people to report anything suspicious to the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321 or on 999 in an emergency.
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