Race To Break Terror Cell

Police and the security services are still hunting for at least three members of an al-Qaida linked terrorist cell suspected of attempting to commit mass murder using car bombs in London and Glasgow.

{mosimage}Counter-terrorism officers believe the cell has at least 8 members, linked by a controlling “Mr Big”.

The hunt led police to make five arrests at the weekend and raid a number of addresses across England and Scotland, amid fears that there could be another attempted attack.

The Jeep attack on Saturday at Glasgow airport, a day after two failed attempts to bomb targets in central London, triggered a decision to take the UK to its highest state of alert.

The incidents were linked after a strong forensic connection was found between the Jeep rammed into the terminal at Glasgow airport and two Mercedes car bombs found in London. The Jeep was packed with petrol and gas canisters similar to those found in the London vehicles, which also contained nails. Counter-terrorist sources indicated that the link was much broader and that the individuals suspected of involvement in the London and Glasgow terrorist acts were connected.

Detectives have a good picture from cameras of the person last seen in the Mercedes car parked outside the Tiger Tiger club in London, the Guardian understands. Breakthroughs and forensic clues are emerging almost hourly as CCTV footage is examined. An official police source said “lots of clues” had been found and “rapid progress” made. But only luck and a flaw in the devices avoided substantial loss of life.

The investigation intensified yesterday when two people were arrested on the M6 in Cheshire after anti-terrorism officers forced their car to stop. A man, 26, and woman, 27, were held. The vehicle was believed to have been travelling north from the West Midlands.

In Liverpool, a man aged 26 was arrested after a car was stopped near Lime Street station and police were searching addresses in the area. All three suspects arrested in the north-west were brought to London for questioning.

Two houses raided yesterday had been rented to people who said they were doctors, according to neighbours. One was in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and the other in Houston, near Glasgow airport. Daniel Gardiner, director of the property agency that let the Houston house, said police had interviewed his staff about the tenants. “They [the police] seemed to know an awful lot about these people,” he said.

The importance of Scotland in the investigation was underlined by the national anti-terrorism coordinator’s journey from London to Glasgow. At a news conference there, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said: “The links between the three attacks are becoming ever clearer.” The usually cautious Mr Clarke said: “I am confident, absolutely confident, that in the coming days and weeks we will be able to gain a thorough understanding of the methods used by the terrorists, of the way in which they planned their attacks and the network to which they belong.”

Two men arrested after the Glasgow attack remained in custody yesterday. One of them, believed to be the driver, was critically ill in hospital with severe burns. He was under armed guard. Another man, 27, who had been in the vehicle, was in police custody.

Yesterday a car in the grounds of the hospital in which he was being treated was destroyed in a controlled explosion. Police said it was linked to the investigation.

Police declined to give details about those arrested, but Strathclyde’s Assistant Chief Constable John Neilson revealed that those held in Glasgow were not Scottish. He told a public meeting at a city mosque: “The people we have in custody came to Scotland a short while ago to seek work. Other than that, I can’t tell you – but I’m sure the community in Glasgow in particular will be reassured. These are not your young people.” Security sources said later none of the five arrested was born in Britain.

Security across the UK was boosted after the raising of the threat level. Patrols were increased at crucial infrastructure sites such at power plants, and extra security was in force at airports, rail stations and at mass public events such as Wimbledon.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre took the decision on Saturday to raise the status to critical, meaning a terrorist attack could be imminent.

A senior source said there was no specific intelligence pointing to an attack, and that the country was expected to stay on maximum alert for days because “we do not know the full picture”.

Analysts had warned that the change in prime minister could see terrorists target Britain, and the first five days of Gordon Brown’s premiership have seen him face a severe national security emergency.

The prime minister warned the public yesterday to expect increased checks of cars at airports and in other public places. And Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, praised the public’s “vigilance and good humour” in dealing with security issues.