EXCLUSIVE: TERROR POLICE ‘KNEW ABOUT KILLER’
NOTES carried by a detective leaving a flat raided after the London Bridge attack appear to suggest a man embroiled in the investigation was quizzed by police last year.
The hand-written comments raised concerns that counter-terror services missed an opportunity to thwart the atrocity.
The scribbled notes reveal a person involved in the inquiry had been ‘interrogated’ by officers over his ‘Islamic views’. It is not clear if the remarks refer to one of the three jihadi murderers shot dead by police or someone linked to them who was interviewed yesterday.
But it will raise fears that the police and security services had a member of the terror group on their radar and failed to treat it with sufficient seriousness. And it will be a headache for police chiefs in case the security gaffe has in any way compromised the operation. It comes after MI5 launched an urgent investigation into why it missed the danger posed by Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi. It has been claimed the authorities were repeatedly told that the 22year-old was a danger to the public before he killed 22 people, including children.
The female Scotland Yard detective carried the notepad as she left the Elizabeth Fry flats in King’s Road, Barking, East London, where arrests were made yesterday. The memo states: ‘Main friends: Had black friends when he was normal. Mosque: He doesn’t use any mosque.’
Crucially, it adds: ‘He had been interrogated by police last year for his Islamic views, the house was searched, passport was taken + he had to sign on.’ Scotland Yard last night declined to comment.