Guard of honour for detective killed by terrorist
POLICE HAVE thwarted five terror attacks in the last few months, including some which were “very close” to being carried out, Britain’s most senior police officer has said.
This year alone, the UK has been targeted by four terror attacks – three of which happened in London in busy and popular areas – which killed and injured scores of people.
Speaking on Nick Ferrari’s show on a London radio station, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said a “very large number of plots” have been foiled over the last few years.
Pressed on exactly how many attacks have been thwarted, she said that in “just the last few weeks”, five have been averted. She later said that the attacks had been thwarted in the last three to four months.
“Overall I think it is well into the teens in the last couple of years, where we know people were intent on attacking and that has been stopped,” she said.
“In addition, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of arrests of people who are radicalised, and are either spreading hatred or supporting terrorism, or want to carry out a terrorist attack.
“We have had a huge number of successful operations, together with the intelligence agencies and we work very closely with them and with colleagues overseas.”
Quizzed on how far-progressed the thwarted attacks were, Ms Dick suggested some of them were within minutes of being executed by terrorists.
“Some of them were very close, we would say, to an attack – very FIVE POLICE officers who foiled a suspected terror plot near Arsenal’s football ground have been recognised for their valour.
The Metropolitan Police close,” she said. When asked if they were “within minutes” of being carried out, Ms Dick replied: “Yes.”
Branding the recent terrorist outrages as “horrific”, Ms Dick said the police and authorities need people to talk to them about what is happening in their communities.
She said violent extremism comes in “many forms” and there are “undoubtedly” examples of people who have carried out attacks who are “home-grown” or who may have travelled or been influenced by people overseas.
“They are living in our communities and that is a problem for all of us,” Ms Dick said.
“The Government has said they are going to review their strategy and I think there is going to be a huge focus in that on what we do to prevent people becoming radicalised, and what we do to prevent radicalised people becoming violent.”
Vehicle-based terror attacks have blighted the capital since March – resulting in large concrete blocks, acting as pedestrian-protecting barricades, being placed on several bridges across London.
When quizzed on whether the safety features will remain permanently, Ms Dick said “they may well be, but not in that form”.
“These are highly effective, they are not very attractive, we need to work with the local authorities and with the mayor obviously and Transport for officers wrestled a man to the floor close to the Emirates Stadium last year and held him tightly despite seeing electrical wires protruding from his clothes, the Police Federation said.
The device turned out to be a London to get a similar effect ... which is not quite so ugly,” Ms Dick said.
“I think they will be needed forever.”
Meanwhile, counter-terror police arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of the preparation of acts to commit terrorism on Thursday, the Met said.
He was stopped by officers at London City Airport and taken to a south London police station for questioning.
Scotland Yard said the man has been released on bail to return on a date in late July, and that a search at an address in Essex was undertaken, but this is now complete. dud, but the five constables – Alex Field, Jason Hodgson, Marc Woolmer, Sam Homer and Wayne Pullen – won a regional prize at the Police Bravery Awards.
The annual event, hosted by the federation, saw the main prize go to three Northumbria police officers who disarmed a mentally-ill gunman during a struggle which saw the weapon fired.
Constables Sarah Currie, Michael Otterson and Sergeant Elliot Richardson helped tackle the man, who was later found in position of an extensive deadly arsenal.
In the earlier category, the London officers won the decoration for bravest in the capital. They had first been alerted to reports of a suspect in Islington, north London, armed with a machete on January 3 2016. Ms Rudd said an “imminent threat to public safety was averted” by the officers’ quick-thinking actions. AN OFF-DUTY police officer killed in the Manchester bombing was given a guard of honour by colleagues at her funeral.
Family, friends and colleagues of Cheshire Police officer Elaine McIver, 43, gathered at Chester Cathedral for the service on Friday.
The detective constable, who worked for North West Regional Crime Unit TITAN, had been standing in the foyer of Manchester Arena with partner Paul Price when terrorist Salman Abedi detonated the device, which killed 22 people.
The couple had been waiting to collect his 13-year-old daughter and her friend from the Ariana Grande concert at the arena.
Mr Price was seriously injured in the attack.
Ms McIver’s coffin was brought to the cathedral in a horse-drawn carriage, flanked by two police horses, and met by a uniformed guard of honour formed of officers who had either joined the force with her or served alongside her.
People lined the streets and spontaneously applauded as the coffin, draped in a Cheshire Constabulary flag and with a police hat on top, was carried into the church.
In the carriage with the coffin was a floral tribute from Greater Manchester Police with the message: “We may not have known you, but you will forever be in the hearts and thoughts of all at Greater Manchester Police and the people of Manchester.”
Mourners, many wearing bright colours and floral patterns, were brought to the church in two yellow double-decker buses with the message “We Love MCR” on the front.
The private service included a tribute from Detective Inspector Karen Jaundrill and a homily from police chaplain Reverend Tony Hunt.
John Denver’s and
hymns were sang as well as and
A private cremation was due to take place after the service.
Ms McIver had been due to move to a new home with ‘the love her life’ in Widnes, Cheshire, with her current property up for sale. A family statement earlier said she ‘was one of a kind and had an impact on so many lives’.