THE head of a Russian parliamentary commission investigating the Beslan school siege that left 331 dead last year said that local law enforcement officials could have prevented the terrorist attack if they had not ignored instructions to strengthen school security.

The head of the Russian parliamentary commission investigating last year’s Beslan school siege today said the regional police department had ignored instructions to strengthen security around schools and accused law enforcement officials of negligence.

Senior military officers were among those who helped the terrorist attack on the Beslan school that left more than 330 hostages dead.

Distraught parents and grandparents of children killed in the Beslan school massacre last year blocked a busy route in southern Russia for a second day today in a call for the regional president to step down.

The Russian parliament’s upper house wants new anti-terror legislation to include stricter penalties for people who aid terrorists and for officials whose negligence results in terrorist attacks, the Interfax news agency reported today.