MI5 to strengthen Commons security

THE British government called in MI5 yesterday to help tighten security at Westminster after two men were charged over a purple flour bomb attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Patrick Ronald Davis, aged 48, of Worthing, Sussex, and Guy Richard Harrison, aged 36, of Ashurst, Sussex, will appear at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court in London next Wednesday.

The two men were charged with “using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress” over Wednesday’s Commons attack.

They face a maximum fine of £1,000 each but cannot be jailed for the offence with which they have been charged.

Commons leader Peter Hain said the “old-fashioned culture of security” in the House would have to be modernised, and told MPs “big modifications in security” were on their way.

But Mr Hain, and MPs from all sides, said the public should still retain access to Parliament. Mr Hain added the breach of security underlined how vulnerable the Commons was.

“There are all sorts of very important lessons we have to draw from yesterday, and, if there is any sort of consolation from this attack, then it was that everybody has had a very dramatic wake-up call,” he said.