The Metropolitan Police have announced they will re-examine policing of Sunday's London Marathon in the aftermath of the bomb attacks in Boston.

The incident will also have ramifications for the funeral of Lady Thatcher due to take place tomorrow.

Marathon organisers and police are now liaising ahead of the event in an attempt to find out whether they face an international threat in order to help them to modify security arrangements.

Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry, police commander for the London Marathon, said: "A security plan is in place. We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with marathon organisers."

The hightened world wide security alert comes amid a rise in the casualty numbers as rescue and emergency workers in Boston continue to deal with the aftermath of the two explosions which killed three people.

One of the victims of the attack was an 8-year old boy.

Kevin Cullen, reporter with the Boston Globe newspaper, spoke to a fire-fighter who attended the scene.

He says the sister of the boy who died has lost her leg and her mother is in surgery: