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Terrorism plots growing in UK, says police chief

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Oct 9, IRNA
UK Police-Terrorism
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair Tuesday warned that the terror plots in the UK is "mounting" in making a case for extending the pre-charge detention of subjects beyond 28-days.

Giving evidence to the Home Affairs parliamentary committee, the police chief also said the number of conspirators involved and the "magnitude" of their ambitions is also growing year by year.

"The prospect that we will need more than 28 days some time in the not too distant future is so real a prospect that Parliament needs to consider it," he said.

Blair's evidence comes as the British government is seeking to reach a consensus on extending the period of detention for terrorist suspects without charge after being defeated two years ago to lengthen it to 90 days.

He told the home affairs committee internment without trial as was use at the height of the conflict in Northern Ireland was a bad idea, but argued that 50 to 90 day detention would be "sensible" if there was judicial oversight.

In July, Prime Minister Gordon Brown indicated that the government would seek to double the current limit for detaining terror suspect without charge, from 28 days to 56 days in new legislation that is due to be announced before the end of the year.

But opposition parties have said that any need should be based upon evidence. Human rights groups have also criticized the proposal as a further erosion of liberties and warned about the impact on the Muslim community, who are being targeted by police.

In his testimony, Blair conceded that extending detention beyond 28 days would not "ease" relations between police and the Muslim community but he said more effort should be made to explain why the police believed it was needed.

Pre-charge detentions in the UK were increased from one to two weeks in 2003 before it was doubled again in legislation passed in 2005.

Since the last rise, only six people have been held for the full 28 days, including three who were released without any charge.

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