Counter-terror police arrest five 'Algerian' street cleaners in dawn raid over alleged plot to attac

Counter-terror police arrest five 'Algerian' street cleaners in dawn raid over alleged plot to attack the Pope on UK visit

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:24 PM on 17th September 2010

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• Sixth man arrested in raid on North London home
  
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Police arrested five street cleaners in a dawn raid today after receiving information they were allegedly plotting to harm the Pope.

The suspects were arrested by Scotland Yard at 5.45am at business premises in the centre of London and are now being questioned by counter-terror detectives.

They were working for Veolia Environmental Services, a contractor which employs 650 on-street staff to keep Westminster's streets clean.

A sixth man being questioned by officers tonight after he was arrested at 2pm at a North London home by police investigating the alleged threat.

Scotland Yard said the suspect, aged 29, was arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Investigation: A police officer stands guard outside the Veolia depot iin central London where five men were arrested by police investigating a suspected plot to harm the Pope

Dawn raid: Officers were turning people away from the street in central London

High security: Scores of police officers flooded the street outside Parliament this afternoon

Searches were continuing tonight at properties across the capital but Benedict XVI's schedule in the city is currently continuing as planned.

His security was reviewed following the arrests but so far it has not been altered and he went ahead with a service and appearance in Twickenham, west London, this morning.

The men, aged 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50, were arrested by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command as their shift was about to start.

They are being held under the Terrorism Act 2000 at a central London police station and will be questioned by detectives.

Some of the group are of North African origin, including Algerian.

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Leith Penny, Westminster City Council's director for city management, said: 'Veolia and Westminster City Council work closely with the relevant authorities to constantly ensure that all the people working on their behalf are subject to right to work checks as prescribed by the Home Office to assess their eligibility to work in the country.

'We are confident that these checks are robust and we will continue to work with the police and other authorities during this investigation.'

The suspects were held at Veolia's Chiltern Street depot, where staff are responsible for cleaning streets in the Marylebone area.

The Pope was not set to visit anywhere in that area before leaving his Wimbledon base for Birmingham on Sunday morning.

The cleaning depot was searched by police as well as their homes in north and east London and the suspects will be questioned by counter-terrorism officers later today.

Sources said no weapons, bomb materials, maps, planning materials or other suspicious items have been found.

Historic: Pope Benedict with the Archbishop of Canterbury this afternoon

The Archbishop of Canterbury greets Benedict XVI at Lambeth Palace

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Today's arrests were made after police received information. Following initial inquiries by detectives, a decision was made to arrest the five men.

'Following today's arrests the policing arrangements for the Papal visit were reviewed and we are satisfied that our current policing plan remains appropriate. The itinerary has not changed. There is no change to the UK threat level.'

Sources refused to discuss the nature of the tip-off, but said it was only received a relatively short time before the arrests were made.

A ring of steel costing up to £1.5million has been put in place to protect the Pope throughout his four-day visit to Britain.

Police even interviewed mentally unstable people they feared could pose a threat to him before he arrived in the UK.

Police on top of Lambeth Palace as the Pope meets the Archbishop of Canterbury

He travels in a 15-strong cavalcade of vehicles from city to city and elite marksmen, some on rooftops, are guarding his every step.

But he is more vulnerable as he travels in the Popemobile through the streets - and when he is meeting and greeting the crowds.

The unrestricted public turnout and the low speed of the armoured Mercedes are considered to be a key risk.

The Popemobile came into being after Benedict's predecessor John Paul II was shot in 1981 by a Turkish ultra-nationalist as he drove through St Peter's Square Rome in an open vehicle. He narrowly escaped with his life.

Benedict's own private bodyguards are not carrying weapons but Scotland Yard has provided armed officers to guard him.

And today as he visited St Mary's University College in Twickenham, everyone - including monks and nuns - went through security scanners.

Father Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican, said the Pope was informed of the threat during his visit to St Mary's University College, in Twickenham, south west London.

He was 30 minutes late for prayers in St Mary's Chapel, but it is not known if this is because of the unexpected intervention.

Father Lombardi said: 'We are not worried about this at all.It will not change our plans and we are happy with the policing arrangements.

'We were informed by the police but at this stage I don't know any more details and if there is even a link. The Pope has been informed. We are totally confident in the police and Scotland Yard.

'The police have said there is no need to change anything of the programme and security. It was precautionary, normal measure because of possible problems. I know the arrests were this morning.

'As I say the police have said there is no need to change anything. The Pope is not preoccupied - as he said on the plane when he flew here "I will go to the UK with courage and joy".

'He will carry on and he is delighted that so many people have come to see him and are happy to see him.'

The Pontiff meets Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks at St Mary's University College Chapel

The arrests came after the wife of the Commons Speaker joined the chorus of secularist attacks on the Pope as her husband prepares to welcome him to Parliament.

Sally Bercow left her husband John red-faced hours before he will have to welcome Benedict XVI to the House of Commons this afternoon.

Mrs Bercow, a would-be Labour MP used social networking website Twitter to join anti-Pope attacks which have been led by comedian Stephen Fry.

Soliciting donations for a 10,000ft parachute jump for a gay, lesbian and bi-sexual charity, she wrote: 'The Pope has landed!

'Mark the occasion by sponsoring my parachute jump for Stonewall UK and gay rights.' In a later tweet she joked: 'No I'm not going to land on the Pope'.

This morning, protesters took to the streets to disrupt the Pope's second day in Britain on his historic state visit.

Models for Gaydar scantilly dressed as angels joined demonstrators waiting outside the College in Twickenham this morning where he met children.

Angry demonstrators brandished posters declaring 'Catholic paedophile - Cover up' and 'Protect the children, not the Church' at the entrance gate.

Richard Eason, 45, an accountant from Isleworth, west London, part of the Richmond Coalition Against the State Visit, said: 'This Pope is evil in his positions on equality and human rights.

'He has campaigned against domestic equality laws in the UK, and he has spread hatred in terms of homophobia. There is also his position on women and the criminal cover-up of child abuse.'

Gareth Evans, 47, a local government officer from Hounslow, west London, described the Pope as 'trapped in a medieval time warp'.

He said he opposed the Pope's teaching on a range of issues including gays and birth control.

'Even my Catholic friends don't agree with everything the Pope comes out with. This Church has not changed in centuries and probably never will,' he said.

'This is not a woolly, fluffy lovely Church. It is a hating Church which is run with a lot of hatred in its backbone.'

But, just as in Scotland yesterday, thousands of supporters also crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of the 83-year-old Pontiff.

Some arrived as early as 6am at the Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon where he celebrated Mass this morning before setting off on this tour.

Denise Curran, 39, said it was a 'once in a lifetime chance'. 'Hopefully, the controversy will fade to the background and people will see the positive things,' she said.

The Pope with Cabinet minister Baroness Warsi at the College Chapel in Twickenham

Cherie Blair, a high-profile Catholic, weighed into the controversy this morning when she appeared on ITV's Daybreak.

Referring to the Pope's attack on the rise of atheism in the UK yesterday, Mrs Blair insisted British Catholics 'shouldn't apologise for where we've come from'.

She said: 'Everyone knows that this country has traditionally been a Christian country. Our religion has formed our culture, our music, the great art, and that is something to celebrate, that's for sure.

She insisted it was a cause for celebration that believers and non-believers could live side-by-side peacefully in Britain.

And she also defended the cost of the Pope's visit, which is being covered by the state.

'Yesterday there was an overwhelmingly positive response to him on the streets of Scotland and, yes, this is a state visit, and as a state visit the state pays as it's a reciprocal visit for the Queen having been there before. But it is also a spiritual visit and for that the church is paying.'

Tony Blair converted to Catholicism in 2007 after he left office. He will be among the audience tonight when the Pope gives a high-profile speech to Parliament.

Mr Bercow will also give a speech praising the Pope in front of hundreds of guests including MPs and other former prime ministers John Major and Gordon Brown at Westminster Hall.

A spokesman for the Speaker said: 'Mrs Speaker will not be attending the event.'

One leading Catholic MP, who did not want to be named, said of her Tweet: 'These comments are disappointing and offensive given the important constitutional role the Speaker has at this historic state visit.'

Tory MP Nadine Dorries said Mrs Bercow just 'didn't get it' and was ' letting us all down'.

A spokesman for Mr Bercow said the Speaker - who previously represented the Tories in the Commons - had no comment to make.

Meanwhile a source close to Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Catholic church in Scotland, spoke of his anger that 'elements in the BBC have clearly and demonstrably declared war against the Papal visit'.

Benedict stayed last night in the residence of the papal ambassador in Wimbledon in advance of a long programme today.

He will meet the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace this afternoon. Then he will deliver his speech in the Commons at 5.15pm before 1,800 politicians and dignitaries.

The German-born Pontiff is expected to speak up again for the values of faith - continuing his condemnation of 'aggressive secularism' after he compared atheism to the forces of Nazism yesterday.

Splendour: The Pope walking through the Chapel at St Mary's University College

Speaking in front of the Queen 90 minutes after touching down in Edinburgh, he signalled his determination not to be silenced by militants who have campaigned against his state visit.

The Pope spoke of Britain's deep Christian roots and later, in an apparent attack on human rights laws, used a sermon to 70,000 Roman Catholics in Glasgow to condemn 'arbitrary freedoms'.

'Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live,' the pontiff said.

'I also recall the regime's attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives.

'As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the 20th century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society.'

The Pope was forced as a 14-year-old to join the Hitler Youth and was conscripted to serve with an anti-aircraft unit defending Munich.

He praised Christianity - including non-Catholic denominations - as the foundation of respect for truth, justice, mercy and charity.

They stem, Benedict said, from 'a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom'.

Speaking to a crowd of 70,000 in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park last night, he argued that the 'evangelisation of culture is all the more important in our times'.

He addressed the crowd from almost exactly the same spot as Pope John Paul II in 1982 - albeit to a much smaller crowd of 70,000, compared to 250,000 then.

The 1982 gathering was the largest crowd in Scottish history.

Critics responded to his speeches yesterday by accusing the Roman Catholic Church of hypocrisy and claiming religious belief was itself the greatest cause of tyranny and murder.

Not a pope but a dope... Fake Popemobile pulled over by police

Police pulled over a fake Popemobile this morning as it drove past Buckingham Palace. Bookmakers Paddy Power had staged the stunt in a vehicle exactly like the one Benedict XVI is using to make his progress through the capital. It even had a man dressed as the Pope sitting in the back. Scotland Yard, on high alert for the Pope's state visit, were not impressed.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312918/POPES-UK-VISIT-Five-men-arrested-plot-harm-Benedict-XVI.html#ixzz0zoE3UEcA