Officers put ring of steel around house
A RING of steel was put up around a shared house linked to Al Swealmeen yesterday as it emerged he had been buying bomb components for seven months.
Residents on
Sutcliffe Street in the Kensington area of Liverpool were evacuated for the second time as officers shouted
“nobody in and nobody out” at lunchtime.
The bomb squad, paramedics and fire service, all descended on the street which has been at the heart of the investigation into the
Remembrance Sunday blast. On Sunday armed police arrested four men in their 20s from a property on Sutcliffe Street but they were released earlier this week and a cordon was removed yesterday morning.
But hours later forensic investigators were seen rushing in and out of the property before officers put up police tape at the end of the street and evacuated residents and drinkers in a nearby pub. They widened the cordon twice more and residents described the situation as “terrifying”. The bomb squad finally left the scene at 6pm and the cordon was reduced.
Meanwhile assistant chief constable Russ Jackson said Al Swealmeen rented a property in Liverpool, believed to be on Rutland Street, in April and was making “relevant purchases” for his bomb “at least” since that time.
He also said that the asylum seeker had suffered from periods of mental illness that will “form part of the investigation”.
ACC Jackson added: “As more becomes known we cannot rule out action against others.”
The UK’s terror threat level has been increased to “severe”, meaning an attack is deemed “highly likely”.
Liverpool City Council said a new “appropriate level” of security will be in place at its Christmas markets.
put it out.” Caroline
Hewitt, who set up the fundraising page, wrote: “These men Darren Knowles, Liam Spencer, Richie Kawar and Will Cowan, all risked their lives on Sunday. I have set up a gofundme page to raise money to be shared out among all four to give them for their bravery.”
Police removed the burnt-out Ford Focus taxi yesterday.
A source said: “There was nothing left of the car. The hospital was even damaged. They found quite serious damage and some windows missing, windows cracked.”