Despite last week's tear in the fabric of society, London bankers are displaying absolutely no signs of paranoia

The riots appear to be over. The backlash and recriminations have begun.

So, has life in London for the wealthy financial services professional assumed a new cost - paying for additional security and the services of 'close protection' personnel?

No.

We spoke to several providers of close protection security services to the rich-and-more -or-less-powerful and none of them had been contacted by London-based financial services professionals concerned about either their wellbeing or the wellbeing of their families. Car dealers and luxury shops yes; concerned hedge fund managers and senior investment bankers, no.

"We haven't been called by any bankers," says Chris Wheeler at Total Care Security. "Motor dealers have been much quicker to get assistance," he adds.

"We've noticed no up-tick in demand," says Andrew Pickford, spokesman at Control Risks Group. "We've got one additional task this week, so it's not much of a jump."

Nor do banks in London appear to be training their employees to resist marauders. Jamie Painter, chief instructor at Task International, which offers self-preservation training to institutions, says they're increasingly working with the employees of oil companies in Egypt and the Middle East, where things are becoming more unsettled, but that they don't work with any financial services firms in London.

It's always possible that some financial services professionals are taking self-defence classes elsewhere. More likely, however, is that bankers in London are taking a pragmatic, non-paranoid approach to last week's disturbances and getting on with things.

They can also rest assured in the knowledge that most banks employ close protection operatives on their behalf. Deutsche Bank's head of European Security and Close Protection is 'hard target self defence trained' and a member of various gun clubs.