Potential terrorists lose London transport jobs

POTENTIAL terrorists are being “purged” from the transport system in a bid to thwart Islamic Stateinspired attacks.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said extremists “who pose a risk to London and its transport network” were being removed from their jobs.

He said the move was designed to help police and the security services who have 3,000 suspects under active scrutiny and 20,000 “subjects of interest”.

Khuram Butt, the leader of the London Bridge attackers, had worked for London Underground.

Mr Wallace said: “We’ve done a lot of work over the last year about people working in sensitive areas who shouldn’t be, and removing their ability to do so. It’s reducing the insider threat. There are people who have worked in sensitive areas that we have now removed who would pose a risk to London and its transport networks. We’ve got to protect as well as pursue. There are more things we can do around where these people work.”

Mr Wallace said terrorist cells could also be disrupted through Disruption on the Tube – extremists who work on the transport network are being removed from their posts, says Security Minister Ben Wallace immigration powers and welfare policies. “We have an acute number of people in this country who are attracted to violent extremism,” he said. “You can’t arrest your way out of that so you have to develop a way that you can intervene early. Disruption is really important.”

Terrorists targeted London’s transport network in the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings which claimed 52 innocent lives.

Mr Wallace revealed home-grown jihadis who fought in the civil war in Syria are “re-engaging” in the conflict in the Middle East rather than return to Britain.

There have long been fears that British veterans of the fighting in Syria and Iraq would flood back and attempt to cause carnage here.

Mr Wallace said not many “hard nasties” were trying to get back.

“We thought a lot would start coming back when IS imploded – that hasn’t happened,” he added.