Trail of terror

Monday 8pm: ANTI-TERROR officers meet late into the night at New Scotland Yard after the 8pm discovery of CCTV footage of four men, believed to be of Pakistani origin, each carrying army-style rucksacks, standing together in the concourse at Kings Cross Station.

The officers already have a positive identification of one of the men, 18-year-old Hasib Hussain, who had been reported missing by his mother at 10pm on the day of the bombings. Officers had been given a description of the clothes Hussain was wearing when he left for London by Hussain’s mother.

Using this information, and Hussein’s driving licence and cash cards found in the bus explosion debris, forensic officers were able to find his body parts. Burn marks and injuries on his decapitated remains were consistent with those usually suffered by suicide bombers.

Officers examining CCTV footage were immediately issued a description of Hussain and told to look for a young man wearing a “very colourful top.” One of the four men in the footage was wearing such a top. The police believed they had the four-man suicide gang.

Before raiding Hussain’s home, MI5 and MI6 were asked for any background on Hussain, but nothing showed up. When Pakistani Intelligence officers could offer nothing further, a decision was taken to raid Hussain’s home, and three other addresses. Information gleaned at these addresses led to subsequent raids.

Tuesday 6.30am

Hundreds of West Yorkshire Police officers move into position under the command of senior detectives from the Met.

They mount simultaneous raids at four addresses.

They were Stratford Street, a row of terrace houses in the rundown south Leeds suburb of Beeston; Colenso Mount, another terrace a few minutes’ walk away; Lees Holm, a semi-detached house in the Thornhill area of Dewsbury; and Thornhill Park Avenue, an attractive cul-de-sac of stone houses a few minutes’ walk from Lees Holm.

The streets were taped off and put under police guard, and white-suited forensic experts moved in.

One man is arrested and taken to London for questioning at the high security Paddington Road facility.

Minutes later ,a fifth raid took place, at Colwyn Road, close to Stratford Street, where three cars, two Mercedes and a VW Polo were also taped off to keep the public away.