Police Scotland will deploy an innovative and very effective policing tactic designed to deter, detect and disrupt criminal and terrorist activity in the lead up to and during the course of the Edinburgh International and Fringe Festival 2017. Continue reading Project Servator: Police gear up for Edinburgh Festival
Prime Minister Theresa May gave a statement in Downing Street yesterday following the terror attack in Finsbury Park:
This morning, our country woke to news of another terrorist attack on the streets of our capital city: the second this month and every bit as sickening as those which have come before. It was an attack that once again targeted the ordinary and the innocent going about their daily lives – this time British Muslims as they left a mosque having broken their fast and prayed together at this sacred time of year.
Today we come together – as we have done before – to condemn this act and to state once again that hatred and evil of this kind will never succeed.
The government’s Emergency Committee, COBRA, has just met and I can set out what we know about what happened, and the steps that we are taking to respond.
Just after twenty-past midnight, the Metropolitan Police received reports that a van had been driven into a crowd of people on Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park.
Officers were in the immediate vicinity as the attack unfolded and responded within one minute.
Police declared it a terrorist incident within 8 minutes.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene; 8 injured were taken to 3 separate hospitals; while 2 were treated at the scene for more minor injuries.
The driver of the van – a white man aged 48 – was bravely detained by members of the public at the scene and then arrested by police.
The early assessment by the police is that the attacker acted alone.
Our thoughts and prayers this morning are with the family and friends of the man who died and those who were injured.
On behalf of the people of London – and the whole country – I want to thank the police and the emergency services once again for responding as they always do with great professionalism and courage.
Extra police resources have already been deployed to reassure communities, and the police will continue to assess the security needs of Mosques and provide any additional resources needed, especially during this final week before Eid Al-Fitr, a particularly important time for the whole Muslim community.
This was an attack on Muslims near their place of worship. And like all terrorism, in whatever form, it shares the same fundamental goal.
It seeks to drive us apart; and to break the precious bonds of solidarity and citizenship that we share in this country.
We will not let this happen.
When I stood here for the first time as Prime Minister last summer I spoke about our precious belief in the Union – not just the bond between the four nations of the United Kingdom – but the bond between all our citizens, every one of us, whoever we are and wherever we are from.
At the heart of that bond is a belief in the fundamental freedoms and liberties that we all cherish; the freedom of speech; the freedom to live how we choose and yes, the freedom to practice religion in peace.
This morning we have seen a sickening attempt to destroy those freedoms; and to break those bonds of citizenship that define our United Kingdom.
It is a reminder that terrorism, extremism and hatred take many forms; and our determination to tackle them must be the same whoever is responsible.
As I said here two weeks ago, there has been far too much tolerance of extremism in our country over many years – and that means extremism of any kind, including Islamophobia.
That is why this government will act to stamp out extremist and hateful ideology – both across society and on the internet, so it is denied a safe space to grow.
It is why we will be reviewing our Counter-Terrorism strategy and ensuring that police and security services have the powers they need.
And it is why we will establish a new Commission for Countering Extremism as a statutory body to help fight hatred and extremism in the same way as we have fought racism – because this extremism is every bit as insidious and destructive to our values and our way of life and we will stop at nothing to defeat it.
Today’s attack falls at a difficult time in the life of this city, following on from the attack on London Bridge 2 weeks ago – and of course the unimaginable tragedy of Grenfell Tower last week, on which I will chair another meeting of Ministers and officials later today.
But what we have seen throughout – whether in the heroism of the ordinary citizens who fought off the attackers at London Bridge; the unbreakable resolve of the residents in Kensington; or this morning the spirit of the community that apprehended this attacker – is that this is an extraordinary city of extraordinary people.
It is home to a multitude of communities that together make London one of the greatest cities on earth.
Diverse, welcoming, vibrant, compassionate, confident and determined never to give in to hate.
These are the values that define this city.
These are the values that define this country.
These are the values that this government will uphold.
These are the values that will prevail.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd gave a number of statements over the course of the day as more information became available.
At 2.20pm she said: “Today the Prime Minister gave a statement on the recent attack in Finsbury Park. The Prime Minister said after 12:20am, the Metropolitan Police received reports that a van had been driven into a crowd of people on Seven Sisters Road. Officers were in the immediate vicinity as the attack unfolded and responded within 1 minute, with police declaring it a terrorist incident within 8 minutes.
Earlier, the Home Secretary said: “A van was driven into innocent people in Finsbury Park and the police are treating it as a terrorist incident.
“We know the police were on hand immediately. Our priority must be to support the people who have been victims of this and to make sure the investigation is done with all due speed and professionalism.
“Londoners have been hit by a series of attacks and have actually been nothing short of heroic. We will always make sure that everyone is protected. We have a places of worship fund, which we announced last summer, which is there to protect places of worship like mosques. We will make sure we do all we can to reduce these sorts of attacks.
“We will allow the police and Counter Terrorism police who are involved to make sure the investigation continues and will continue to keep people aware of what progress is being made.”
In her first statement at 5:40am, the Home Secretary said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the appalling incident at Finsbury Park. I am in contact with the Metropolitan Police who have confirmed it is being investigated by their Counter Terrorism Command.
“Yesterday, like so many others around the country, I took part in the Great Get Together to celebrate the values of Jo Cox. It was powerful and moving to see the community come together in a show of solidarity. We must all continue to stand together, resolute, against all those who try to divide us and spread hate and fear.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a Scottish Government resilience (SGORR) meeting yesterday following the terrorist attack in Finsbury Park..
Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, Communities Secretary Angela Constance and senior Police Scotland representatives and Scottish Government officials took part in the meeting.
Following the meeting, the First Minister said: “This was a horrific attack and my thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected. I know that everyone will be saddened to see yet another terrorist attack.
“I convened a resilience meeting this afternoon to ensure that we are closely monitoring the situation. While there is no intelligence of any specific threat to Scotland, Police Scotland remain vigilant and visible across communities to provide reassurance to members of the public.
“Muslim communities will understandably be anxious just now and it is in these moments that we must come together as a country and unite against extremism and hate from wherever it comes.”
Seven people are now dead and forty eight more injured – many of them seriously – following a terrorist attack in the heart of London last night. Continue reading London Bridge attack: death toll rises to seven
“The great city of Manchester has been affected by terrorism before. Its spirit was not bowed; its community continued. This time it has been a particular attack on the most vulnerable in our society – its intention was to sow fear – its intention is to divide. But it will not succeed.” – Home Secretary Amber Rudd
Twenty-two people have died and scores more injured in a terror attack on Manchester Arena, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed. Police said the lone male attacker, who died in the blast, was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated. Continue reading Manchester Arena attack: death toll rises
Prime Minister Theresa May gave a statement in Downing Street last night following the attack in Westminster which saw five people killed and forty more injured. Continue reading Leaders speak following Westminster attack
“The terrorists seek to divide us, and to destroy our way of life. But theirs is an empty, perverted and murderous ideology. They represent no one. And they will fail.” – Home Secretary Thesesa May
The Home Secretary made this statement on the Paris terrorists attacks to the House of Commons yesterday: Continue reading “France grieves. But she does not grieve alone”
On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers launched an attack on London’s transport system that killed 52 and injured over 750 in the worst ever terrorist attack on British soil.
Many Londoners woke up that day delighted with the news that they had won the bid to stage the Olympic Games – but that joy soon turned to horror when 52 people died and hundreds more injured in a series of coordinated attacks on the Tube and a double-decker bus at the height of the rush hour.
Three bombs went off on the Underground within minutes of each other just after 8.50am, two of them near Liverpool Street and Edgware Road stations, and a third between King’s Cross and Russell Square. An hour later a number 30 bus was hit on Tavistock Square, near King’s Cross.
Tomorrow, the tenth anniversary of the atrocity will be marked across the country:
A Service of Remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral
The service will be broadcast from 10.30am , as families of those affected attend a commemoration service. Representatives of the emergency services will also attend the service alongside politicians, including Lord Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Prince Andrew will represent the Royal Family.
A minute’s silence
People across the UK will fall quiet for a minute at 11.30am to reflect on the anniversary of the attacks. In London, bus drivers will pull over if they can do so safely and although tube trains will continue running, announcements will stop and passengers will be reminded of the silence.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Scotland”s First Minister Alex Salmond have spoken out following the horrific murder of Scottish aid worker David Haines by Islamic militant group ISIL.
Mr Cameron said: “Today, the whole country will want to express its deep sympathy for David Haines’ family. They have endured the last 18 months of David’s captivity with extraordinary courage.
And now David has been murdered in the most callous and brutal way imaginable by an organisation which is the embodiment of evil.
We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice, no matter how long it takes.
David Haines was an aid worker. He went into harm’s way not to harm people, but to help his fellow human beings in the hour of their direst need – from the Balkans to the Middle East.
His family spoke of the joy he felt when he learned he had got this job in Syria. His selflessness, his decency, his burning desire to help others has today cost him his life.
But the whole country, like his grieving family, can be incredibly proud of what he did and what he stood for in his humanitarian mission.
David Haines was a British hero. The fact that an aid worker was taken, held and brutally murdered at the hands of ISIL sums up what this organisation stands for.
They are killing and slaughtering thousands of people, Muslims, Christians, minorities across Iraq and Syria.
They boast of their brutality. They claim to do this in the name of Islam. That is nonsense. Islam is a religion of peace.
They are not Muslims. They are monsters.
They make no secret of their desire to do as much harm not just in the Middle East, but to any countries or peoples who seek to stand in their way or dare to stand for values they disagree with.
It was an ISIL fanatic who gunned down four people in a museum in Brussels.
So, let me be clear.
The British people need to know that this is a fanatical organisation called ISIL, that has not only murdered a British hostage. They have planned – and continue to plan – attacks across Europe and in our country.
We are a peaceful people. We do not seek out confrontation. But we need to understand. We cannot ignore this threat to our security and that of our allies. There is no option of keeping our heads down that would make us safe. The problem will merely get worse, as it has done over recent months, not just for us, but for Europe and for the world. We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe. We have to confront this menace.
Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle and ultimately destroy ISIL and what it stands for.
We will do so in a calm, deliberate way – but with an iron determination.
We will not do so on our own – but by working closely with our allies, not just the United States and in Europe, but also in the region. Because this organisation poses a massive threat to the entire Middle East.
So we will defeat ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.
First, we will work with the Iraqi Government to ensure it represents all its people, and is able to tackle this threat effectively. We will support the Kurdish regional government, who are holding the front line against ISIL. We will help them protect their own people – and the minorities, including Christians, they have helped already – through our supplies of ammunition and through training.
Second, we will work at the UN to mobilise the broadest possible support to bear down on ISIL.
Third, the United States is taking direct military action. We support their efforts.
British Tornadoes and surveillance aircraft have been helping with intelligence gathering and logistics. This is not about British combat troops on the ground. It is about working with others to extinguish this terrorist threat. As this strategy intensifies, we are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to deal with this threat and keep our country safe.
Fourth, we will continue to support the enormous humanitarian efforts, including using the RAF to do so, to help the literally millions of people who have fled ISIL and are now living in appalling conditions.
And fifth, and perhaps most important, we will maintain and continually reinforce our formidable counter-terrorist effort here at home to prevent attacks and to hunt down those who are planning them.
People across this country will have been sickened by the fact that it could have been a British citizen – a British citizen – who could have carried out this unspeakable act. It is the very opposite of everything our country stands for.
It falls to the Government, and to each and every one of us, to drain this poison from our society and to take on this warped ideology that is radicalising some of our young people.
The murder of David Haines at the hands of ISIL will not lead Britain to shirk our responsibility, with our allies, to deal with the threat this organisation poses.
It must strengthen our resolve. We must recognise that it will take time to eradicate a threat like this. It will require, as I have described, action at home and abroad. This is not something we can do on our own – we have to work with the rest of the world.
But ultimately our security as a nation, the way we go about our everyday lives in this free and tolerant society that is Britain, has always depended on our readiness to act against those who stand for hatred and who stand for destruction.
And that is exactly what we will do.”
Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond also condemned the murder as ‘an act of unspeakable barbarism.’
He went on: “”We offer our sincerest condolences to the Haines family and friends who have borne these absolutely terrible circumstances with great fortitude in recent months. Supporting the family and ensuring they get the privacy they have asked for is of primary importance to us at this time.
“Earlier today I convened a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Sub-Committee for Resilience (CSC-SGOR) to look at our specific responsibilities in these matters and we will continue to work closely with Police Scotland, the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the coming days.
“We will also work with the communities of Scotland, which is of great priority. Scotland’s Muslim community are a strong and valued part of Scottish society, and they should in no way be held responsible for the extremism of ISIL. But we must have total vigilance, and be clear that any aggravated racial or religious attack will be met with the full force of the law and will not be tolerated.”
Police Scotland have also released a statement.
Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: “Information has been received that David Haines, who had been held hostage in Syria, has been murdered by terrorists. Our thoughts are very much with David’s family at this most difficult time and we are doing all we can to support them. This horrific act of violence affects many different communities across the world, including people here in Scotland.
Police Scotland and the communities we serve are unanimous in our condemnation of this murder and other acts of violence by terrorists around the world. We stand collectively in defiance of such atrocities. Scotland is a welcoming and compassionate country with integrated and cohesive communities.
Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe. I urge all people in Scotland to continue working together to ensure nobody feels threatened or marginalised. We must all ensure that the threat posed by terrorists operating in both Syria and Iraq does not undermine the positive relationships which exist across Scotland. Should anyone witness or become the victim of Hate Crime they should contact Police Scotland immediately. Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of Hate Crime and we are committed to doing everything in our power to identify and bring those responsible to justice.
At this time there is no specific threat to Scotland. However, given that the current overall threat level is severe, I would encourage everyone to remain vigilant. Police Scotland is working with law enforcement and security partners around the world to counter the threat from terrorism to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all communities.
If anyone has any information or concerns about suspicious activity, they should contact Police Scotland on 101, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency always dial 999.
Police Scotland thanks you for your continued support.”
