ARMED police were being deployed at rail stations and airports today amid fears of a Mumbai-style terror plot.

Police were stepping up security at Barking Station, bus terminals, the Tube and major hubs after transport chiefs were said to have received a memo warning of a new terror alert.

The new threat came after the POST revealed the Mall shopping centre in Dagenham had spent thousands of pounds to counter a potential emergency before Christmas.

A Met police spokesman said today: “Recent events at East Midlands Airport and continued speculation about ‘Mumbai-style’ attacks serve as a stark reminder of the real and enduring threat we continue to face from terrorist groups.

“We will police accordingly and use a range of covert and overt tactics which remain under constant review.”

Barking and Dagenham Supt Gary Buttercase added: “Policing of transport hubs will always be proportionate to the risk of a terrorist attack.”

Britain has been on “severe” alert for a year, meaning an attack by terror cells, including al Qaeda, was “highly likely”.

The Mall in Dagenham last month put in place a �2,500 “major incident plan” including a hi-tech patrol log system while Vicarage Field shopping centre in Barking said it had received tips on security threats from the Met and expert consultants.