Cabinet considers UK security

Prime Minister Tony Blair today held 75 minutes of emergency talks at No 10 in the wake of the US terror attacks.

The meeting of the Cabinet’s civil contingencies committee began at 8am and broke up at 9.15am.

There was no immediate word of the outcome of the talks, chaired by Mr Blair and involving Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Chancellor Gordon Brown, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, Home Secretary David Blunkett and other senior ministers.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce and intelligence chiefs from MI5 and MI6 were also understood to be at the meeting, but Downing Street refused to confirm their presence.

The meeting was called to review the security measures announced by Mr Blair last night and decide if any further security action.

The Prime Minister said last night that security at all UK airports had been stepped up to the highest levels with no flights allowed without ‘‘the highest standards of security for air crew and passengers’’.

Only specially authorised private flights are allowed in UK airspace, all flights to North America have been cancelled and airspace over central London has been closed to civilian planes.

Mr Blair has also pledged to stand ‘‘shoulder to shoulder’’ with US President George W Bush in the aftermath of the attacks and the committee will also have reviewed what military help the UK could provide if the US finds a target for retaliatory attacks.

:: During the meeting Downing Street was briefly evacuated after a suspect package sparked a bomb alert.

Journalists were ordered to leave the pavement outside No 10, but the building itself was not cleared and it is understood the meeting continued.

Bomb squad officers gave the all-clear at 8.52, 18 minutes after the street had been closed.

Today’s brief bomb scare in Downing Street reflects heightened tension across Whitehall and the City, with all government buildings now on special ‘‘amber’’ alert.