08/06/2006

Police apologise for raid disruption

Metropolitan Police have apologised for the disruption and inconvenience caused by the anti-terror raid in Forest Gate, east London last week.

Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman said that the raid on the property in Lansdown Road last Friday, which involved 250 officers and resulted in a suspect being shot in the shoulder, was "necessary and proportionate".

Speaking at Scotland Yard on Thursday, Mr Hayman said: "I am aware that in mounting this operation we have caused disruption and inconvenience to many residents in Newham and for that I apologise."

However, the Assistant Commissioner added: "We had no choice but to take the action that we did in trying to prove or disprove the intelligence.

"To do otherwise, we would have been failing in our duty to make London safer and protect all Londoners."

Two brothers, Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, and Abul Koyair, 20, were arrested during last week's raid, which was carried out in order to search for a suspected chemical device.

Mr Kahar was shot in the shoulder during the raid and the incident is now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Both have denied the charges.

Police have been granted permission to detain the men until Saturday afternoon and are continuing to question them at Paddington Green police station.

Police have so far failed to find a chemical-based explosive device, as the intelligence had suggested, during searches at the house on Lansdown Road.

However, Mr Hayman stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the search could continue elsewhere, if the device was not found in the house, in order to prove or disprove the intelligence.

Mr Hayman also addressed plans for a demonstration to be held outside Forest Gate police station on Friday, saying: "This is not the time for conflict and anger."

(KMcA)

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