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Terror threat level reduced as police question tube bombing suspects Terror threat level reduced as police question tube bombing suspects
(about 3 hours later)
The UK terror threat level has been reduced to severe from critical following what Amber Rudd, the home secretary, described as “good progress” in the investigation into the bomb attack on a London underground train that injured 30 people. Detectives are continuing to question two men, aged 18 and 21, arrested in connection with Friday’s London Underground attack as the government concluded a follow-up attack was not imminent and downgraded the UK terror threat assessment from critical to severe.
Military personnel who were mobilised when the the threat level was raised on Friday evening would return to normal duties, Rudd said. The decision was made by the independent joint terrorism analysis centre (JTAC) based at MI5 and means an attack is considered highly likely but is no longer “expected imminently”. The home secretary, Amber Rudd, claimed “good progress” had been made in the investigation following the rush hour incident on Friday morning which involved a crude bomb which failed to detonate properly but still resulted in injuries to 30 people at Parsons Green tube station.
Announcing the decision, Rudd urged the public to “continue to be vigilant but not be alarmed”. Police searched two addresses in Surrey on Sunday, one the home of a couple who fostered children and who were decorated by the Queen for their public service, the other believed to be the home of a 21-year-old man close to the perimeter road of Heathrow airport who was arrested late on Saturday.
“What it indicates is that good progress has been made,” she said. “[JTAC] has clearly decided that sufficient progress has been made to have the confidence but it is still an ongoing operation.” Both men remain in police custody under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which allows police to detain suspects without charge beyond the four days allowed for suspects connected to other crimes.
Police described the arrest of the 18-year-old in the departure area of the Port of Dover on Saturday morning as significant. Rudd said it appeared the bomber was not a lone wolf but it was “too early to reach any final conclusions on that”.
The foster home had recently hosted refugees from conflict zones, according to neighbours.
Scotland Yard declined to comment on the nationality of the arrested 18-year old. The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, Mark Rowley, the national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said the investigation had proceeded at “high pace” and it was becoming clear how the device, which was fitted with a timer, was made. Investigators do not believe the attacker was present when it exploded on a District line train heading for central London.
“There are now two searches continuing at addresses in Hounslow and Surrey and we are getting a greater understanding of the preparation of the device,” Rowley said. “There is still much more to do but this greater clarity and this progress has led the joint terrorism analysis centre – the independent body that assess threat – to come to the judgement that an attack is no longer imminent.”
Military personnel who were mobilised when the threat level was raised on Friday evening will return to normal duties, Rudd said, but she urged the public to “continue to be vigilant but not be alarmed”.
She said there was no evidence that other explosive devices were in circulation, as had reportedly been claimed by representatives of Islamic State.She said there was no evidence that other explosive devices were in circulation, as had reportedly been claimed by representatives of Islamic State.
“They have always made claims that suit their own interests but actually there is no evidence of that,” Rudd said. Rowley said the travelling public would still see a high level of policing, armed and unarmed, on Monday morning.
The Met assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, the national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said searches were continuing at addresses in Hounslow and Surrey and detectives “are getting a greater understanding of the preparation of the device”. “Military personnel will remain at readiness to deploy in support of the police should future security situations require,” he said.
He added: “There is still much more to do but this greater clarity and this progress has led JTAC to come to the judgment that an attack is no longer imminent.” All but one of the 30 people hospitalised on Friday have been discharged. One patient remains at Chelsea and Westminster hospital, according to NHS England. The victimssuffered flash burns and injuries caused in the ensuing panic and stampede.
Police made a second arrest in the investigation late on Saturday and searched a residential property in Stanwell, Surrey on Sunday. In Sunbury-on-Thames, where about 60 homes were temporarily evacuated on Saturday “as a precaution” while police investigated a suspected bomb factory at a foster home, neighbours told how foster carers Ronald and Penelope Jones, 88 and 71, had taken in up to 300 children during their career, including eight refugees, and had an 18-year-old staying with them recently.
Police made a “significant” arrest of an 18-year-old man in the departure area of Dover port earlier on Saturday and he remains in custody under terrorism laws. Investigations also continued at a property in Sunbury-on-Thames following a raid by armed anti-terror police. Dave Solway, a 44-year-old builder who lives opposite the Jones family, said the couple had two children living with them, one of whom had been there “a couple of years”.
About 60 homes in the area were temporarily evacuated “as a precaution”. The address is believed by investigators to be connected to the making of the explosives that partly detonated at Parsons Green at 8.20am causing flash burns to some passengers and a stampede that injured others. Alison Griffiths, a local councillor, told the Guardian: “I know Penny because she comes down to the shopping centre. She is a really lovely person. I was aware that there were two children in her care.”
Residents said the property in Sunbury-on-Thames being searched by police was occupied by an elderly married couple known for fostering many children and young people over several decades. They were awarded MBEs in 2010. The Joneses, who were made MBEs in 2010, are understood to be staying with friends and have been unavailable for comment.
Ronald Jones, 88, and his wife, Penelope, 71, who were honoured for services to children and families, are said to be staying with friends following the police raids.
One friend, Alison Griffiths, said the couple had been foster parents for almost 40 years and had taken in up to 300 children, including eight refugees, and had an 18-year-old staying with them recently.
Police scaled back the cordon around the property on Sunday and told residents there were no safety risks caused by the ongoing investigations. An inner cordon of 10 houses remained in place.Police scaled back the cordon around the property on Sunday and told residents there were no safety risks caused by the ongoing investigations. An inner cordon of 10 houses remained in place.
A 21-year-old man was arrested in Hounslow, west London, at about 11.50pm on Saturday in connection with the explosion at Parsons Green station, the Metropolitan police said. In Stanwell, residents said a 21-year old who was arrested in nearby Hounslow late on Saturday, kept late hours and worked in a job with a uniform, possibly security.
The man was detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act and taken to a police station in south London where he remained in custody on Sunday, Scotland Yard said. “He has always been polite with us.” said Pat Hodge, 59. “I was up some nights from 11pm and he would be coming home and friends would knock on the door between 2 and 3am. You would see people in there looking like they were playing a games console. They used to sit out in the garden and smoke shisha.”
Rowley said the travelling public would still see a high level of policing presence, armed and unarmed, on Monday morning. The attack renewed focus on the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy. The Home Office launched a recruitment campaign on Sunday to find the head of a new counter-extremism commission intended to help train staff at schools and colleges to spot signs that youngsters were being radicalised.
“The military support we have had in place under Operation Temperer will start to phase out as we move through the coming week,” he said. “There are detailed and well-rehearsed plans in place to ensure a smooth transition from Operation Temperer and military personnel will remain at readiness to deploy in support of the police should future security situations require.” Rudd said it would “identify and challenge tolerance of extremism, tackle extremist ideology and promote British values, learning the lessons from the struggle against racism in the 20th century”.
Counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation supported by MI5. A key strand of the investigation has focused on CCTV to establish where, when and by whom the device, which is understood to have been fitted with a timer, was placed on the train. Meanwhile, Theresa May said the government was talking to internet companies such as Google and Facebook about “doing more” to tackle extremism online and said she would raise the issue at the UN general assembly this week.
Speaking earlier on Sunday, Rudd said it appeared the bomber was not a lone wolf but that it was “too early to reach any final conclusions on that”. “One of the issues that we really need to be addressing, and I’ll be raising this when I’m at the UN, is the question of the use of the internet by terrorists for terrorist planning,” the prime minister said. “But also this using it for the spread of extremism, of hatred, of propaganda that can incite and can inspire terrorism.”
While the arrest on Saturday of the 18-year-old was instantly hailed by police as “significant”, they are less sure about the importance to the attack of the person arrested in Hounslow. Investigators remain open-minded about whether one or more people was involved and have not yet found definitive evidence of a wider conspiracy.
The teenager arrested at Dover is suspected to have planted the device on the tube carriage, which was detonated by a timer, and would have caused much more extensive casualties had it fully exploded. Investigators do not believe the person who placed the home-made bomb on the train was present when it exploded.
Rudd said £24m of new government money was going towards counter-terrorism operations across the country.
Asked if police cuts had hit anti-terror operations, she said: “I think it is too simple to approach it like that. “What we have is an onslaught of attacks from Daesh trying to radicalise people.”