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U/K PM attacks Pakistan terror threat
Officers are carrying out intensive searches of all the properties raided
Gordon Brown has said Pakistan needs to do more to root out "terrorism" after police thwarted a suspected al-Qaeda bomb plot in north-west England.
He spoke after police were forced to bring forward arrests of 12 suspects, 11 of them Pakistanis, after a security blunder by Britain's anti-terror chief.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick resigned after he was photographed with clearly visible secret documents.
Mr Brown said police had to move early to foil "a very big terrorist plot".
The prime minister said he would speak to Pakistan's president to raise concerns about what he termed "increasing" terror links between Pakistan and the UK.
We are evaluating all the material we are finding, interviewing people and the investigation will take a long time
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable .
He said: "We know that there are links between terrorists in Britain and terrorists in Pakistan. That is an important issue for us to follow through.
"One of the lessons we have learned from the past few years is that Pakistan has to do more to root out terrorist elements in its country as well."
There have also been calls to toughen up security checks on foreign students after it was revealed most of the Pakistani nationals arrested in Wednesday's raids had travelled to the UK on student visas.
The target and other details of the alleged plot have not yet been revealed.
But a source close to the counter-terrorism investigation, known as Operation Pathway, told the BBC the arrests in Merseyside, Manchester and Lancashire were due to concerns plans for a "very, very, big attack with possible Al Qaeda links" had reached their final stages.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the plot could possibly have involved an explosive device, but so far the signs were that no device had been built.
Brown:' Increasingly we have seen terrorist links with Britain and Pakistan'
Mr Brown revealed police had been following the plot "for some time", before Mr Quick accidently revealed a document about it to press photographers as he arrived for a briefing in Downing Street.
Fearing their anti-terror operation could be compromised, armed police then launched their raids earlier than planned - stoking criticism that the daylight arrests in cafes and outside a university library may have endangered members of the public.
Mr Quick resigned his post on Thursday morning saying his mistake "could have compromised a major counter-terrorism operation".
He added: "I deeply regret the disruption caused to colleagues undertaking the operation and remain grateful for the way in which they adapted quickly and professionally to a revised timescale."
Mr Quick's blunder later to led to questions over whether photographers in Downing Street should be subject to stricter controls over what they are allowed to photograph.
Former home secretary David Blunkett told the BBC it was right to ask "what restrictions might have to be placed on what is taken, and how, and when".
The "secret" documents clutched by Mr Quick were clearly on show
Police leading the anti-terror investigation moved quickly to dampen down press speculation the alleged plot involved bomb attacks on a shopping centre and nightclub in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable, Peter Fahy said: "The locations mentioned in the media are pure speculation.
"I have no hesitation in using these locations and there is no particular threat against locations mentioned in the media."
Mr Fahy refused to reveal the alleged target of the plot, or what was found inside the properties raided by police on Wednesday.
He said: "We are evaluating all the material we are finding, interviewing people and the investigation will take a long time."
Although he did not confirm a reported al-Qaeda link to the alleged plot, Mr Fahy also stressed the nationality of those arrested so far was significant.
He told reporters: "We know what is the nature of the threat to this country and we know where it comes from.
"Clearly links with other countries will feature in this investigation. The reporting of the fact 11 of those arrested are Pakistani nationals is a matter of public knowledge."
Tory shadow home secretary Chris Grayling called on the government to "urgently step up" background checks on students coming to Britain from countries - like Pakistan - which have been linked to terror.
Government figures show that 42,292 student visas were issued to Pakistani students between April 2004 and April 2008.
Mr Grayling said: "The government admits that student visas are a major loophole in our border controls.
A man was arrested at Liverpool John Moores University
"Given these latest revelations we need to urgently step up monitoring of applications from parts of the world where we face terror issues."
But a Home Officer spokesman insisted that Britain already carried out rigorous background checks on student visa applicants.
The spokesman said: "Every student wishing to study in the UK undergoes scrutiny - including fingerprint checks against a range of immigration, terrorism and crime watch lists.
"Before being allowed into the UK, students must now be sponsored by a registered university or college, and show they are able to support themselves financially." :(
At least he did the honorable thing and resigned straight away , tosser should have had his portfolio closed with papers inside , basic stupidity cost him his job and could maybe have cost a large loss of life .mad:
Officers are carrying out intensive searches of all the properties raided
Gordon Brown has said Pakistan needs to do more to root out "terrorism" after police thwarted a suspected al-Qaeda bomb plot in north-west England.
He spoke after police were forced to bring forward arrests of 12 suspects, 11 of them Pakistanis, after a security blunder by Britain's anti-terror chief.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick resigned after he was photographed with clearly visible secret documents.
Mr Brown said police had to move early to foil "a very big terrorist plot".
The prime minister said he would speak to Pakistan's president to raise concerns about what he termed "increasing" terror links between Pakistan and the UK.
We are evaluating all the material we are finding, interviewing people and the investigation will take a long time
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable .
He said: "We know that there are links between terrorists in Britain and terrorists in Pakistan. That is an important issue for us to follow through.
"One of the lessons we have learned from the past few years is that Pakistan has to do more to root out terrorist elements in its country as well."
There have also been calls to toughen up security checks on foreign students after it was revealed most of the Pakistani nationals arrested in Wednesday's raids had travelled to the UK on student visas.
The target and other details of the alleged plot have not yet been revealed.
But a source close to the counter-terrorism investigation, known as Operation Pathway, told the BBC the arrests in Merseyside, Manchester and Lancashire were due to concerns plans for a "very, very, big attack with possible Al Qaeda links" had reached their final stages.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the plot could possibly have involved an explosive device, but so far the signs were that no device had been built.
Brown:' Increasingly we have seen terrorist links with Britain and Pakistan'
Mr Brown revealed police had been following the plot "for some time", before Mr Quick accidently revealed a document about it to press photographers as he arrived for a briefing in Downing Street.
Fearing their anti-terror operation could be compromised, armed police then launched their raids earlier than planned - stoking criticism that the daylight arrests in cafes and outside a university library may have endangered members of the public.
Mr Quick resigned his post on Thursday morning saying his mistake "could have compromised a major counter-terrorism operation".
He added: "I deeply regret the disruption caused to colleagues undertaking the operation and remain grateful for the way in which they adapted quickly and professionally to a revised timescale."
Mr Quick's blunder later to led to questions over whether photographers in Downing Street should be subject to stricter controls over what they are allowed to photograph.
Former home secretary David Blunkett told the BBC it was right to ask "what restrictions might have to be placed on what is taken, and how, and when".
The "secret" documents clutched by Mr Quick were clearly on show
Police leading the anti-terror investigation moved quickly to dampen down press speculation the alleged plot involved bomb attacks on a shopping centre and nightclub in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable, Peter Fahy said: "The locations mentioned in the media are pure speculation.
"I have no hesitation in using these locations and there is no particular threat against locations mentioned in the media."
Mr Fahy refused to reveal the alleged target of the plot, or what was found inside the properties raided by police on Wednesday.
He said: "We are evaluating all the material we are finding, interviewing people and the investigation will take a long time."
Although he did not confirm a reported al-Qaeda link to the alleged plot, Mr Fahy also stressed the nationality of those arrested so far was significant.
He told reporters: "We know what is the nature of the threat to this country and we know where it comes from.
"Clearly links with other countries will feature in this investigation. The reporting of the fact 11 of those arrested are Pakistani nationals is a matter of public knowledge."
Tory shadow home secretary Chris Grayling called on the government to "urgently step up" background checks on students coming to Britain from countries - like Pakistan - which have been linked to terror.
Government figures show that 42,292 student visas were issued to Pakistani students between April 2004 and April 2008.
Mr Grayling said: "The government admits that student visas are a major loophole in our border controls.
A man was arrested at Liverpool John Moores University
"Given these latest revelations we need to urgently step up monitoring of applications from parts of the world where we face terror issues."
But a Home Officer spokesman insisted that Britain already carried out rigorous background checks on student visa applicants.
The spokesman said: "Every student wishing to study in the UK undergoes scrutiny - including fingerprint checks against a range of immigration, terrorism and crime watch lists.
"Before being allowed into the UK, students must now be sponsored by a registered university or college, and show they are able to support themselves financially." :(
At least he did the honorable thing and resigned straight away , tosser should have had his portfolio closed with papers inside , basic stupidity cost him his job and could maybe have cost a large loss of life .mad:
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