London ‘will not escape attack’

BRITAIN is an inevitable target for international terrorists despite police success in thwarting previous attacks, Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Stevens warned yesterday.

His fears were echoed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s grim forecast that it would be “miraculous” if the capital escaped attack.

Mr Stevens also revealed a team of Met police officers are in Madrid to see what lessons can be learned from last week’s bomb blast to improve security in Britain.

“Since September 11 there have been 520 arrests, half have been charged with an offence and there are 90 about to go through to court,” Mr Stevens said.

“We do know that we have actually stopped terrorist attacks happening in London but.... there is an inevitability that some sort of attack will get through but my job is to make sure that does not happen.”

Police and security services are “working three times harder than ever” to foil any terrorist plot and the situation was constantly being reviewed, he said.

But members of the public must remain vigilant in the current high state of alert as the Underground, trains, buses and clubs are possible targets, Mr Stevens said.

“We are looking to see if there is specific things we can learn from Madrid in terms of who was involved, does it change our tactics and those things we have learnt we will put into force.”

Mr Livingstone said: “It would be miraculous if, with all the terrorist resources arranged against us, terrorists did not get through, and given that some are prepared to give their own lives, it would be inconceivable that someone does not get through to London.”

Despite the warnings, London remains one of the safest cities in the world, Mr Livingstone said.

Urging the public to go about their usual business he pointed out that most venues were covered by CCTV cameras, making it difficult for bombers to escape.

And cameras used for transport systems such as the congestion charge could also be used to close the net on terrorists.