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| London Bridge attack: swift review of sentencing pledged - latest updates | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Counter-terror expert says UK playing ‘Russian roulette’ with public after it was revealed attacker had been jailed for plot | |
| Dal Babu, former MET police chief superintendent, has called for an urgent review of the resources available to monitor convicted terrorists. | |
| Usman Khan was previously convicted of terror offences, including plotting to attack the London Stock Exchange in 2010. He was part of a gang of nine extremists from Stoke-on-Trent, Cardiff and London who were sentenced in February 2012 at Woolwich crown court. You can read the judge’s sentencing remarks here. Here is a key passage: | |
| In a statement, the Queen has said: | |
| The PA news agency has been speaking to residents living near a flat in Stafford believed to have been occupied by the London Bridge attacker. | |
| Retired police officer Justin Lightfoot, who lives in a nearby street, said he instantly recognised Usman Khan when a friend showed him a photograph on Saturday morning. | |
| He added: | |
| Usman Khan was likely to be considered a low to medium risk, priority-three target for Britain’s intelligence agencies, reports the Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh. | |
| MI5 characterises the individuals it monitors in four categories, with priority one applying where there is “credible and actionable” intelligence of attack planning. Priority three individuals are those where “further action is needed to determine where a threat exists”. | |
| The majority of individuals released from prison after having served time for terror offences are placed in this category, and the reality is they are largely a matter for probation services, because there is not the resources - or necessarily the justification - to keep an intense focus on such people. | |
| Intelligence investigators will now be focusing on Khan’s phone, email, as well as his home and any other key locations, in order to determine whether he had any associates or connections that spurred him on to the deadly attack. The working hypothesis is that Khan was a lone actor, who decided to act with little pre-planning, but that is far from settled as investigations continue. | Intelligence investigators will now be focusing on Khan’s phone, email, as well as his home and any other key locations, in order to determine whether he had any associates or connections that spurred him on to the deadly attack. The working hypothesis is that Khan was a lone actor, who decided to act with little pre-planning, but that is far from settled as investigations continue. |
| Such lone actors are notoriously difficult for the intelligence agencies to spot - a marked contrast to the more typical plots of a decade ago, where individuals would prepare in advance, seeking direction, perhaps travelling abroad as Khan himself did at the beginning of the decade, making them easier to disrupt. | Such lone actors are notoriously difficult for the intelligence agencies to spot - a marked contrast to the more typical plots of a decade ago, where individuals would prepare in advance, seeking direction, perhaps travelling abroad as Khan himself did at the beginning of the decade, making them easier to disrupt. |
| Some more on that Sky News report that the attacker had links to Anjem Choudary, who co-founded the now banned Al-Muhajiroun group. The broadcaster reports: | Some more on that Sky News report that the attacker had links to Anjem Choudary, who co-founded the now banned Al-Muhajiroun group. The broadcaster reports: |
| A counter-terrorism specialist has described the criminal justice system as playing “Russian roulette” with the public, after it was revealed the London Bridge attacker had been released from jail after being convicted of terror offences.Chris Phillips, a former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the PA news agency: | A counter-terrorism specialist has described the criminal justice system as playing “Russian roulette” with the public, after it was revealed the London Bridge attacker had been released from jail after being convicted of terror offences.Chris Phillips, a former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the PA news agency: |
| Sky News is reporting that the attacker was “a student and personal friend” of the radical preacher Anjem Choudary. | Sky News is reporting that the attacker was “a student and personal friend” of the radical preacher Anjem Choudary. |
| Choudary was released from prison last year after serving half of the five-and-a-half-year sentence he received in 2016 for urging support for Isis and pledging allegiance to the terrorist group. | Choudary was released from prison last year after serving half of the five-and-a-half-year sentence he received in 2016 for urging support for Isis and pledging allegiance to the terrorist group. |
| The Metropolitan Police has renewed its call for anybody with information to come forward, particularly anyone who was at Fishmongers’ Hall. | The Metropolitan Police has renewed its call for anybody with information to come forward, particularly anyone who was at Fishmongers’ Hall. |
| The attacker – 28-year-old Usman Khan – attended Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday for a University of Cambridge-organised conference on rehabilitating offenders. | The attacker – 28-year-old Usman Khan – attended Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday for a University of Cambridge-organised conference on rehabilitating offenders. |
| Three members of the public, including one armed with a fire extinguisher and another a five-foot narwhal tusk, grappled with and eventually grounded the London Bridge knife attacker before police arrived, reports my colleague Sarah Marsh. | Three members of the public, including one armed with a fire extinguisher and another a five-foot narwhal tusk, grappled with and eventually grounded the London Bridge knife attacker before police arrived, reports my colleague Sarah Marsh. |
| Footage has emerged showing people at the scene surrounding the attacker, who is eventually pinned to the floor. One man sprays him with a fire extinguisher before trying to hit him with it, while another approaches him with a narwhal tusk, lunging at him with it. It is believed the item was pulled from the wall of Fishmongers’ Hall. | Footage has emerged showing people at the scene surrounding the attacker, who is eventually pinned to the floor. One man sprays him with a fire extinguisher before trying to hit him with it, while another approaches him with a narwhal tusk, lunging at him with it. It is believed the item was pulled from the wall of Fishmongers’ Hall. |
| Read the full story here: | Read the full story here: |
| Craig Heathcote was walking across the bridge as the attack happened. “I was on the east side of the bridge, walking across it – heading to the supermarket on my lunch break. A man appeared in front of me and started screaming that there was someone with a knife, then I realised something was happening,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | Craig Heathcote was walking across the bridge as the attack happened. “I was on the east side of the bridge, walking across it – heading to the supermarket on my lunch break. A man appeared in front of me and started screaming that there was someone with a knife, then I realised something was happening,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. |
| He said it took a while to process what was going on, but he could see what looked like a “big scuffle happening” and what felt like “hundreds of people screaming” on the bridge. | He said it took a while to process what was going on, but he could see what looked like a “big scuffle happening” and what felt like “hundreds of people screaming” on the bridge. |
| “The police were not yet there so I called 999 as I felt no one else was [calling them] … While I was on the phone I think a car appeared. It was either the first response or by chance a car driving across the bridge, someone jumped out and waved them down. Two armed officers jumped out and took over situation,” he said. | “The police were not yet there so I called 999 as I felt no one else was [calling them] … While I was on the phone I think a car appeared. It was either the first response or by chance a car driving across the bridge, someone jumped out and waved them down. Two armed officers jumped out and took over situation,” he said. |
| The security minister, Brandon Lewis, has also been speaking to broadcasters this morning. | The security minister, Brandon Lewis, has also been speaking to broadcasters this morning. |
| Speaking to Sky News, he refused to comment on the specifics of the attack, but said more assessment was needed of the sentences given to violent criminals. | Speaking to Sky News, he refused to comment on the specifics of the attack, but said more assessment was needed of the sentences given to violent criminals. |
| He said it would be “inappropriate and dangerous” to speculate on how the attacker had been able to arm himself even though he was on licence from prison. | He said it would be “inappropriate and dangerous” to speculate on how the attacker had been able to arm himself even though he was on licence from prison. |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: | Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: |
| The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been speaking to broadcasters. | The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been speaking to broadcasters. |
| He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “you can’t disaggregate terrorism and security from cuts made to resources of the police, of probation, the tools that judges have”. He said armed police patrols would be stepped up in the capital over the coming days. | He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “you can’t disaggregate terrorism and security from cuts made to resources of the police, of probation, the tools that judges have”. He said armed police patrols would be stepped up in the capital over the coming days. |
| He told Sky News that he did not think someone convicted of serious offences should be automatically released. | He told Sky News that he did not think someone convicted of serious offences should be automatically released. |
| Here are some photographs of the three-storey block of flats in Stafford in the West Midlands that is being searched by police following Friday’s attack. | Here are some photographs of the three-storey block of flats in Stafford in the West Midlands that is being searched by police following Friday’s attack. |
| The Press Association reports from the scene – | The Press Association reports from the scene – |
| The Parole Board has issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the release of London Bridge attacker Usman Khan. | The Parole Board has issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the release of London Bridge attacker Usman Khan. |
| The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said that flags on UK government buildings will fly at half-mast on Saturday as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives and those who were affected by the attack. | The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said that flags on UK government buildings will fly at half-mast on Saturday as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives and those who were affected by the attack. |
| The London bridge attacker has been identified as Usman Khan. He was previously jailed for an al-Qaida inspired bomb plot. Scotland Yard were investigating the 28-year-old, who was known to the authorities and fitted with an electronic tag to monitor his movements. He was allowed out a year ago after serving time for his part in a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange. | The London bridge attacker has been identified as Usman Khan. He was previously jailed for an al-Qaida inspired bomb plot. Scotland Yard were investigating the 28-year-old, who was known to the authorities and fitted with an electronic tag to monitor his movements. He was allowed out a year ago after serving time for his part in a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange. |
| A police search believed to be linked to the London Bridge investigation is being carried out at a three-storey block of flats in Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, close to the town centre. A police photographer and search teams entered one of two doors at the front entrance, while two uniformed officers were present at a cordon outside the building. | A police search believed to be linked to the London Bridge investigation is being carried out at a three-storey block of flats in Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, close to the town centre. A police photographer and search teams entered one of two doors at the front entrance, while two uniformed officers were present at a cordon outside the building. |
| The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has argued that more resourcing is needed for the policy, saying “you can’t disaggregate terrorism and security from cuts made to resources of the police, of probation, the tools that judges have”. He said there would be an increased police presence on the streets in the wake of the attack to reassure members of the public | The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has argued that more resourcing is needed for the policy, saying “you can’t disaggregate terrorism and security from cuts made to resources of the police, of probation, the tools that judges have”. He said there would be an increased police presence on the streets in the wake of the attack to reassure members of the public |
| Security minister Brandon Lewis refused to say whether the attack on London Bridge showed a failure by authorities. He repeatedly refused to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said that more assessment was needed of the sentences given to violent criminals. | Security minister Brandon Lewis refused to say whether the attack on London Bridge showed a failure by authorities. He repeatedly refused to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said that more assessment was needed of the sentences given to violent criminals. |
| Welcome to the Guardian’s live blog on the London bridge attack. We will be giving you regular coverage and updates on the situation. | Welcome to the Guardian’s live blog on the London bridge attack. We will be giving you regular coverage and updates on the situation. |
| A police search believed to be linked to the London Bridge investigation is being carried out at a three-storey block of flats in Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, close to the town centre.A police photographer and search teams entered one of two doors at the front entrance to the block on Saturday morning, while two uniformed officers were present at a cordon outside the building. | A police search believed to be linked to the London Bridge investigation is being carried out at a three-storey block of flats in Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, close to the town centre.A police photographer and search teams entered one of two doors at the front entrance to the block on Saturday morning, while two uniformed officers were present at a cordon outside the building. |