POLICE have warned those intending to cause trouble during Baroness Thatcher's funeral next week they will be "dealt with".
Metropolitan Police Commander Christine Jones said the force was working with specialist intelligence units as part of the security operation surrounding the funeral on Wednesday.
Ms Jones said peaceful protest would be tolerated, but warned: "If you want to come to London to commit crime we will deal with you."
She urged those planning to protest to talk to the police before the funeral so this could be accommodated in security plans.
Ms Jones said: "The fact is peaceful protest is a democratic right; it's part of life in London, part of life in a democracy.
"But where that translates into crime and criminal activity, or incitement to crime and violence, then clearly there's a need to act and we will do so."
The security operation for the funeral will be run from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) specialist operations room and include a mobile team of officers ready to respond to events across the capital.
Baroness Thatcher's funeral – codenamed Operation True Blue – will take place at 11am on Wednesday after the body has travelled from Parliament with full military honours.
Officers will be deployed at strategic points along the route the funeral cortege will follow.
As a precaution, the big screen in the Edinburgh's Festival Square, which was used to screen the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be switched off.
A spokesman for the city council said: "Dedicated coverage of Margaret Thatcher's funeral will not be shown on the big screen in Festival Square.
"As with any screening we plan we have to think of the implications, and in this case there were fears it could become the focal point for protests."
The warning fom London came as it emerged hundreds of revellers are expected to attend parties across Scotland this weekend to celebrate the death of the former Prime Minister.
Social media sites have advertised Thatcher death parties to be held tomorrow at Glasgow's George Square, the Mound in Edinburgh, and the Counting House and the Glenlivit Bar in Dundee.
At least 44 parties will be held worldwide to mark the Iron Lady's death, including gatherings in London's Trafalgar Square and 30 others in the UK, Denver, Colorado, Oslo and New Zealand.
Writing on the Facebook page for the George Square event, one poster said: "That witch done nothing for Scotland. The death of mining industry, the introduction of the poll tax to Scotland first and not to forget Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher."
Police said they were aware of the Scottish events and would respond appropriately.
Tomorrow's planned events follow impromptu gatherings in Glasgow and elsewhere in the UK on Monday, hours after the death of the former Prime Minister was announced.
A crowd of up to 300 people assembled in George Square. Some wore party hats.
Meanwhile, a row has broken out over suggestions a statue should be built in honour of Lady Thatcher. Conservative politicians have called for such a tribute and one of the suggested sites is Trafalgar Square.
However, Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group on the London Assembly, said it would not be appropriate to have a statue of Baroness Thatcher in the square, which was the scene of riots over the poll tax when Mrs Thatcher was leader.
Meanwhile, David Cameron said some of the reaction to Baroness Thatcher's death was "pretty distasteful" as he denied he was using her passing for political advantage.
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