Armed 'nuclear police' patrol Wolverhampton after Manchester terror attack
Armed 'nuclear police' are patrolling the streets of Wolverhampton, it has been revealed.
Officers from the specialist Civil Nuclear Constabulary have been drafted in to help protect the city in wake of the Manchester terrorist attack.
It comes as part of the Government's crisis Operation Temperer which has seen the armed forces deployed across the country to allow elite firearms officers to be sent on other duties.
WATCH: Armed police in Wolverhampton
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a specialist armed police unit dedicated to protecting the civil nuclear industry.
It normally protects 14 civil nuclear sites across England, Scotland and Wales as well as guarding nuclear material in transit as part of national security measures.
West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson and the West Midlands Police Federation – which represents rank and file officers – have praised the officers and visited them across the region.
They have also been spotted at the Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley and in Birmingham City Centre.
In Wolverhampton, teams of firearms officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary have been patrolling in the Mander Centre, the railway and bus stations, as well as in Queen Square and Dudley Street.
Bushbury North Labour councillor Daniel Warren said "I think the presence of armed police is a show of force now and I welcome it. I don't feel anxious about it. It is about security and I think it is an appropriate and moderate response."
However, councillor Warren said he was concerned that cuts to police officers in recent years meant the West Midlands force's resources were stretched.
Tettenhall Regis Conservative councillor Udey Singh said: "I think it is quite reassuring to know that they are there. Obviously we have been told that the threat level is critical and it would seem that an attack could be imminent.
"I can only praise the Government for their proactive approach to make everyone as safe and secure as possible as we go about our daily lives.
"I would say to residents to be vigilant and if they see anything suspicious to contact the relevant authorities to make them aware. This will make sure that we do not face anything catastrophic."
There are nearly 400 armed police officers with West Midlands, Staffordshire, West Mercia, and Warwickshire forces.
In January last year, Mr Thompson started a new recruitment process to boost the numbers of armed officers in the West Midlands after the Paris massacre.
