Bomb suspects ‘fostered by same couple’

TWO men who were fostered by the same British couple are being questioned by police investigating the Parsons Green bombing.

An 18-year-old, understood to be suspected of planting the device on a tube train, and a 21-year-old were both arrested under the Terrorism Act following Friday’s blast.

Both are believed to have spent time i n the care of Penelope and Ronald Jones, aged 71 and 88 respectively, who previously received MBEs for services to children and families.

The 21-year-old, reported to be from Syria, has since left their care and was arrested in Hounslow on Saturday, while his home in Surrey was searched by police on Sunday.

A local politician said he understood an 18-year-old Iraqi orphan was living with the couple, having moved to Britain aged 15 after his parents died.

The couple’s home was subject to an armed raid on Saturday morning and is still being scoured by counterterrorism investigators.

As the vast probe into the rush-hour explosion, which injured 30, continued, the UK’s terror threat level was lowered from its highest point.

The de-escalation from critical to severe by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre suggested a confidence that any further threat from the bomber’s network had subsided.

The 18-year-old man was detained on Saturday morning in the departure area of Dover ferry port, which is the busiest ferry hub in Europe.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said police had made “good progress”.