Newspaper headlines: 'Army on standby' after armed officers down guns

Many papers report on the decision by some armed members of the Metropolitan Police to turn in their weapons permits after a fellow officer was charged with murder

Several papers are leading with the decision by armed police in London to put down their guns after a fellow officer was charged with murder, while others continue to cover the government's reported decision to scrap a leg of HS2.

The Guardian reports that the SAS are giving counter-terrorism support to Scotland Yard, while the Times says some firearms officers from other forces are understood to have declined to provide assistance to the Met.

The Daily Telegraph quotes an unnamed firearms officer as saying: "If something goes wrong you can end up on trial for murder looking at serving a life sentence. Is there any wonder they are saying 'I'm out'?"

The Times says the former Chancellor George Osborne has railed against the idea of scrapping the HS2 line to Manchester. Writing in the paper, Mr Osborne says reducing or giving up on the rail link would mean abandoning the north and Midlands - and represent an "act of huge economic self-harm".

According to the Guardian, a prominent Conservative donor - who wishes to remain anonymous - has threatened to stop supporting the party if the northern section is axed.

The Daily Mail argues that while the cost of completing what it calls the "shambolic" scheme is going to be eye-watering, the alternative scenario would be saddling the country with a catastrophic white elephant.

Suggesting that the project has been derailed, the Sun says a more efficient rail alternative for northern England - which could be delivered sooner and at a fraction of the cost - would be a far better deal.

In another story, the Daily Mail says rapists will be forced to serve their full sentences as part of what is being referred to as a "gear change" on crime, to be unveiled by Rishi Sunak in the coming weeks. The paper says Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been asked to draw up proposals to end the possibility of early release for people convicted of the most serious sexual offences.

The Financial Times says the world's largest toymaker, Lego, has abandoned plans to swap oil-based bricks for a new material, derived from recycled plastic bottles - after discovering that the replacement led to higher carbon emissions.

The firm has instead decided to try to improve the carbon footprint of its existing material, which currently requires 2kg of petroleum for every kilogram of bricks produced.

The Daily Mirror says the England footballer Marcus Rashford jumped out of his £700,000 Rolls-Royce after a crash - to check whether the other driver had been hurt.

The paper says the "two-and-a-half ton Roller" hit another car, a bollard, a post and a traffic island. The Sun headlines its story: "Rashy hits the post."

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