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  Date / Time: 3/31/2009 7:05 PM UTC

  City on alert for anarchy as Obama sweeps into London for G20 talks with world leaders
  

  .S. President Barack Obama has landed at Stansted Airport ahead of Thursday's G20 summit, along with a 500-strong delegation - the largest travelling retinue in the country's history.

  Air Force One landed at 7.50PM GMT, accompanied by 200 members of the American secret service and joined by another 300 staff, from department heads to press officers, for Thursday's G20 summit.

  He will visit Buckingham Palace and Downing Street tomorrow in his first visit outside the U.S. since his election win.

  

  Heading for London: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama set off for their first trip outside the United States since the election

  

  Leaving the White House: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk to board the Marine One helicopter as they depart the White House in Washington

  Obama's suitcase:

  • Unlike George W Bush, he will not take a food taster with him during the visit. He is not a fussy eater... he's been known to eat dog and snake in the past.
  • However he will have an air quality tester, who will ensure that no harmful bacteria is allowed to pollute the presidential air.
  • He is bringing some basketballs to use on a special court set up for him at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.
  • He carries with him a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck.
  • His preferred hot drink during the visit will be tea. He doesn't drink coffee and only occasionally drinks alcohol.

  Obama by numbers:

  • 1 chef
  • 1 'friend' to play basketball with
  • 4 speechwriters
  • 8 First Lady assistants
  • 12 teleprompters
  • 35 vehicles
  • 200 Secret Service agents
  • 300 state department heads and assistants

  Even Michelle Obama has her own team of eight staff, including a secretary, press officer, bodyguards and hairdresser Johnny Wright.

  As he journeyed security agents could be heard talking about 'Renegade' and 'Renaissance' - their codenames for the president and his wife.

  He is expected to arrive by Air Force One at about 7.45pm tonight.

  Thursday's meeting will see world leaders gather at the Excel centre in London's docklands to discuss the global economic crisis.

  Even the Queen will take part in the proceedings, meeting as many world leaders as possible tomorrow evening.

  However she is so keen to meet the President she has granted the Obamas a 20-minute window beforehand for a private talk.

  The Obama's unprecended security force will be looking for two main threats - attacks by Al-Qaeda, and attacks on the U.S.'s first black President by racial extremists.

  Meanwhile anarchists are are planning to storm City banks after posing as protesters during peaceful G20 marches.

  Hundreds of activists are hoping to fool police by pretending to be part of legitimate demonstrations.

  They will then break off and swoop on London's financial centre, which they aim to 'occupy' for as long as possible.

  Obama's London stay:

  

  1. Buckingham Palace - The President will meet the Queen tomorrow night for a 20-minute talk
  2. The U.S. Ambassador's Residence - Winfield House in Regent's Park, set in 12 acres, giving it is the largest private garden in central London after Buckingham Palace
  3. Downing Street - Jamie Oliver will cook a banquet for G20 leaders at a party hosted by Gordon Brown
  4. The Excel Centre - The 100-acre centre will host the G20 summit on Thursday. The site boasts parking for 4,000 cars and have five hotels on-site

  

  Where Obama won't be going: Boarded up buildings in the Canary Wharf area of London, an area likely to be stormed by protesters tonight

  Revelations of the protesters' determination to storm the City came as the capital is entering a state of lockdown ahead of Thursday's summit.

  Fears it will be a target for terrorists and activists are already high after yesterday's five arrests over a possible plot to cause havoc at the gathering.

  The plans to invade the City were unveiled to anarchist leaders at a meeting in an east London squat last night, according to the Evening Standard.

   

  More...

  • Fears for 5,000 British jobs at Vauxhall after President Obama forces out General Motors boss
  • 35,000 protesters turn out for G20 march in London ... but police arrest just one
  • Brown unites G20 countries... against him after his fiscal plan is torpedoed by 'German dirty tricks campaign'
  • Jamie Oliver ordered to hand over his mobile as G20 security steps up for Barack Obama

  It is believed members at the secret gathering represent 200 activists from across Europe.

  The groups who attended are said to have included the Whitechapel Anarchist Group, Class War and the Wombles.

  Scotland Yard has warned protesters involved in the 1990 Poll Tax riots have been called out of retirement for this week's action. 

  

  Free speech: A lone protester listens to people's responses as he delivers a speech outside the Bank of England

  Tomorrow will see four protest marches in the capital, before the G20 summit in the Docklands on Thursday.

  The activists are planning to use two of the demonstrations - the Black Horse and the Green Horse - as their cover so that they can get to the City.

  One ringleader at last night's meeting said: 'If we go in there in a block, that will mean serious fisticuffs with the police.'

  Another protester, from Greece, added: 'If we said we will storm the banks, then we should storm the banks.'

  Gordon Brown today warned police will adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards threats to people or property.

  

  A police officer stands guard as people walk past the Bank of England today

  'No violence can be tolerated, no intimidation of people is allowed, and the police will act very quickly if there is any threat to property or people,' he said.

  Police are still questioning four suspects arrested yesterday under counter-terrorism powers in connection with a possible plan to disrupt this week's meeting.

  They were held after an imitation Kalashnikov rifle and other weapons were seized by police investigating a possible plot to cause havoc at the G20 summit.

  Three men aged 25, 19 and 16 and one women 20, were arrested after the eldest man was seen allegedly spraying graffiti in Plymouth. 

  A fifth suspect, a woman, was released late last night following a court hearing at Plymouth Magistrates' Court.

  Officers involved in yesterday's swoop found a range of imitation and deactivated firearms from handguns to hunting rifles and a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle as they searched several homes. 

  They also found 'improvised explosives made of fireworks'.

  

  Held: The terror suspects were taken in four different police cars from Plymouth Magistrates Court yesterday

  Detectives are investigating the possibility that the group were planning to mount protests in London against the G20 summit.

  Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton said 'politically sensitive material' had been found. 

  Sources said the suspects were not linked to any religious group. All five were being held under the Terrorism Act. 

  The arrests were made after the 25-year-old man was held in Plymouth on Friday evening, for allegedly spraying graffiti on a wall, and his home was searched.

  Mr Netherton said the operation had no connection to Nicky Reilly, 22, the Muslim convert from Plymouth who was jailed for 18 years earlier this year for an attempted nail bomb attack on an Exeter restaurant. 

  In London, Scotland Yard said the Metropolitan Police was liaising with the Devon and Cornwall force but the investigation was at a very early stage.

  The spokesman added that police were seeing 'an unprecedented level of activity amongst protest groups not seen since the late 1990s, involving some individuals we have not seen on the protest circuit for some time'.

  Organisers of a planned protest in the City of London tomorrow are to meet Scotland Yard officers today to discuss their concerns over how it will be policed. 

  Activists from the Climate Camp said they had been trying to open communication following 'increasingly sensational police predictions' of violence.

  The group said it was concerned it was the victim of a 'smear campaign' ahead of the demonstration.

  More than 3,000 police officers will be on duty during the summit period, with up to 100,000 protesters expected to stage rallies and marches.

  

  Head down: One of the five people arrested in connection with a possible plot to disrupt this week's G20 summit in London

  Police estimate the cost of the security operation at £8 million - the largest in UK history.

  A huge cordon will be thrown around the Excel centre in London's Docklands, the headquarters of the summit.

  A ring of steel will also be constructed to keep protesters away from the U.S. embassy in central London.

  Senior officers fear a repeat of the violent anti-capitalist and MayDay protests of 1999 and 2000.

  Shops and other businesses were damaged and dozens of arrests made.
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