US President George W. Bush's visit to Britain next week could bring London to a standstill over fears of terror attacks and protests against the Iraq war.
London's Metropolitan Police said on Monday it will deploy "all the resources necessary" during the trip, which starts on November 19th, prompting fears that large parts of the city may be cordoned-off.
Although precise details of the president's itinerary and route have not been released, the police acknowledge there will be some security cordons.
"We will have to close off some roads," a spokeswoman at Scotland Yard said although she added it was "speculation" that large parts of the London would be shut down.
Worries about a possible terrorist attack have been compounded by concerns about demonstrations.
A big march on Trafalgar Square has been organised for November 20th, which will culminate in a symbolic toppling of a makeshift statue of Mr Bush to evoke the dragging down of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's statue during the Iraq war.
Organisers have said they expect upwards of 100,000 people, a realistic assessment after an anti-war demonstration in February brought more than one million Britons on to the streets.
Mr Bush's visit to Britain, at the invitation of the queen, will be the first state visit of a US president since Mr Ronald Reagan's trip in 1982.