>I remember years ago on a bus in Switzerland a man got on carrying his assault rifle. To me it felt very unusual but the locals all ignored him completely. At the time in the UK you never saw guns unless you went to an army display of some kind. We see more guns now usually at major airports. And gun crime in the UK seems to rising, we've just had a series of teenage shootings in London.

I've never seen a military or police person in Canada with a loaded assault rifle, held at the ready in Canada. Even after 9-11. But every time I've passed through Heathrow since 1991 I've seen multiple police like this. Every time it struck me as unusual.