UK security services braced for lone wolf terror attacks trying to wreak havoc at Christmas

As tensions emergence crossed the globe, information services successful the UK are connected precocious alert implicit the menace of imaginable panic attacks, peculiarly arsenic the Christmas play accelerated approaches

Russian and Iranian operatives stay a menace connected British ungraded arsenic warfare rages connected successful the Middle East and Ukraine.

And officials proceed to beryllium connected precocious alert implicit the menace from Islamist extremist attacks. Today, amid the heightened tension, bomb disposal officers carried retired a controlled detonation connected a suspicious bundle extracurricular the US Embassy successful London.

And travellers astatine Gatwick Airport faced chaos aft fleeing the South Terminal arsenic the weaponry squad swooped due to the fact that of a suspicious bundle recovered successful an point of luggage. Chris Phillips, erstwhile caput of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, says quality services look assorted threats implicit the Christmas period.

He added it includes extremists wanting to people Christmas markets. Mr Phillips said: “There are a myriad of threats. Tensions are precocious with events successful the Middle East and Russia.

“States similar Iran won’t needfully driblet bombs, but they’ll person agents already successful this state wanting to bash their bidding. State-sponsored coercion whitethorn good person an uptick successful the adjacent fewer months. Extremist individuals could besides strike. Religious holidays are ever a people for radical wanting to bash america harm. The information services volition beryllium connected heightened alert.”

The country astir the US Embassy successful Nine Elms, South London, was placed into lockdown during the scare yesterday. Scotland Yard bosses aboriginal said they believed it was a hoax device, adding a probe was nether way.

Restaurants and shops adjacent the embassy accidental they mislaid concern owed to the country being cordoned off. A cafe worker, who asked to stay anonymous for information reasons, said: “We conscionable heard that we needed to enactment successful here.

"We didn’t person to adjacent but we did suffer rather a batch of customers arsenic they couldn’t get here. We person to beryllium rather cautious moving this adjacent to the embassy but they are precise supportive.”

En Arnold, 25, who works successful Sendero Coffee, said she ever suspected it was a hoax. She added: “They accidental it was a mendacious weaponry threat. People had to travel successful present to beryllium for a while, and they blocked disconnected rather a spot of the area.

"I felt chilled. If I dice past I die. The constabulary person guns truthful we should beryllium OK. There are fake weaponry threats each the clip successful London. They wouldn’t person been attacking a random cafe worker.”

Gatwick Airport’s full South Terminal was evacuated arsenic weaponry squad officers probed a suspected prohibited point recovered successful luggage. Passengers were ordered to get retired and enactment acold away. Officers scrambled to the terminal astatine 8.20am. Explosive ordnance disposal constabulary were deployed and roads were closed astir the terminal.

Witnesses said determination were thousands of radical waiting successful the streets and car parks. Bosses astatine the airdrome adjacent Crawley, West Sussex, said the terminal was evacuated arsenic a precaution.

Chiefs added this afternoon: “The information alert has present been resolved and cleared by police. The terminal is reopening to unit and volition beryllium unfastened to passengers shortly. We would similar to convey everyone for their patience and knowing portion this was resolved. Safety and information is ever our apical priority.”

It added: “There are immoderate delays and cancellations. Passengers should interaction their hose for immoderate updates connected flights. The existent information menace level successful the UK is “substantial”, which means an onslaught is classed arsenic being likely.

Last period the caput of MI5, manager wide Ken McCallum, warned that Russia was connected a ngo to make mayhem connected British soil. He besides revealed that 20 Iran-backed assassination plots person been stopped since 2022 successful Britain.

Mr McCallum warned the information work has “one hellhole of a occupation connected its hands”, having foiled 43 late-stage panic plots since 2017, averting wide execution with conscionable days to spare. He said the UK’s enactment of Ukraine means we “loom ample successful the fevered imaginativeness of Vladimir Putin ’s regime”.

He claimed Russian subject quality “is connected a sustained ngo to make mayhem connected British... streets”. He added: “We’ve seen arson, sabotage and much – unsafe actions conducted with expanding recklessness.”

He said MI5 would besides springiness its “fullest attention” to a emergence successful Iranian authorities aggression successful the UK. Iran and Russia are understood to beryllium paying third-party agents to bash their soiled enactment – from low-level criminals to planetary cause traffickers. Mr McCallum besides warned of a resurgent menace from Islamic State and al-Qaeda, arsenic they person “resumed efforts to export terrorism”.