London, April 27: The Indian High Commission in London has asked the British authorities for better security after Tamil demonstrators attacked India House in Aldwych, smashed large glass windows at the front and side of the building and pushed their way into the lobby before being removed by police.

Since this latest breach of security follows the dislodging on April 9 of the bust of Jawaharlal Nehru that occupied a plinth at the side of the building, it is clear that whoever is responsible for security at India House has not been doing his job.

In marked contrast, the American embassy in Grosvenor is now surrounded by concrete barriers and patrolled round the clock by heavily armed officers.

Had a group forcibly tried to smash its way into the US embassy, there is a strong possibility they would have been shot.

“An incident occurred between 8.15-8.30am in the morning today,” said an Indian high commission statement.

“A crowd of demonstrators, shouting slogans about the situation in Sri Lanka, gathered outside the high commission premises. A few managed to force their way in, when the door was opened to allow a member of local staff in. The crowd, originally about 100 to 150 in number swelled to over a thousand later.”

The statement added: “The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has been briefed about the incident, along with the High Commission’s concerns about the security situation and their need for adequate security measures.”

The last comment seems to suggest that in the opinion of Indian diplomats, the British authorities have not been doing enough to protect India House.

Considering what happened in Mumbai in November, today’s incident will ring alarm bells.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown today pledged an extra £2.5 million for humanitarian aid to help people displaced by fighting in Sri Lanka, while reiterating calls for a ceasefire in the country’s northern war zone.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has spoken to Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa. The Prime Minister said he remained concerned about the plight of civilians in the conflict zone.”

International development minister Mike Foster will visit Sri Lanka tomorrow to conduct a humanitarian assessment before foreign secretary David Miliband joins his French and Swedish counterparts on a trip to the island on Wednesday, the spokesman said. Rajapaksa has also invited Sri Lanka envoy Des Browne and a cross-party group of MPs to visit soon, he added.