Britain's Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

Britain's Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

Royal guards have been removed from public streets outside famous British landmarks over terrorism fears.

The Queen's Guard have been repositioned on account of suggestions that a terrorism attack could be imminent.

Sally Leivesley, a police counter-terrorism adviser, observed that an attack on the Queen's Guard would be "a hugely powerful signal".

She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "As a target it is incredibly significant for these groups to kill a British soldier in their home country."

As part of the process, two guard posts at Clarence House - the official home of Prince Charles - have been moved, while posts at St James's Palace have moved from the front gates to within the palace.

This means the guards are now only visible to tourists from a distance.

A spokesperson for Clarence House has refused to comment on the issue of royal security, but an insider has told the newspaper that the changes were made following an "acute" threat.

The source said: "Intelligence picked up (internet) chatter which is being taken seriously.

"Isis know it would be very difficult to attack a member of the Royal family, but one of the Queen's Guard would be a huge target for them."