WORLD Police swoop on blast suspect
A TEENAGER believed to be a refugee from the Middle East is the key suspect behind the botched London train bomb that injured 30 people and saw Britons warned to prepare for another attack.
British police were yesterday searching the home of a pensioner couple who foster refugee children from countries including Syria and Iraq after arresting an 18- year- old man. His identity is a closely guarded secret.
Counter terrorism officers and special forces troops swooped on the house in Sunbury- on- Thames in Surrey, six hours after arresting the young man at the Port of Dover.
The suspect was being interrogated in London overnight as forensic officers continued to search the terrace house owned by Ronald and Penelope Jones, who have received honours from the Queen for fostering 268 children.
Residents were ordered out of their homes by balaclavaclad armed officers ahead of the raid in the suburban region south- west of London.
Across London, armed officers patrolled London’s streets and security was beefed up at major events, including Premier League soccer matches, after intelligence chiefs warned another attack may be imminent.
Officers apprehended the teenager in Dover, where boats regularly leave for Calais and Dunkirk in France.
Dover’s ferry terminal was evacuated during the arrest and “a number of items” were recovered.
“We’re keeping an open mind around whether more than one person is responsible for the attack,” Neil Basu of London’s Metropolitan Police told reporters.
Tourist Daniel Vaselicu who witnessed the arrest said the teenager appeared “normal, not fighting” as he spoke with police officers.
Police are believed to be searching for accomplices, reportedly including a woman.
The developments came as London hospitals updated the number of people injured in the attack to 30.
Most of the victims suffered burns after the home- made bomb detonated on a packed train as it pulled into Parsons Green station in south- west London during the Friday morning rush hour.
Mass casualties would have been likely if the bomb had detonated properly.