UK 'no resources for Mumbai attack'

12:33pm Sunday 30th November 2008

British security forces would not be able cope with a Mumbai-style terrorist attack, according to the chair of an influential parliamentary committee.

Patrick Mercer said a new anti-terror unit was needed with "a battalion's worth" of 500 highly specialised policemen and soldiers who could be called upon in case of attack.

The chair of the Commons counter-terrorism sub committee said the Olympics in London would be a "magnet" for terrorists and attacks like the one seen in India "could just as well happen" in UK cities.

He told ITV News: "What can happen in Mumbai could just as well happen in Manchester or Birmingham ... this style of attack is something we'd find very difficult to cope with."

Asked if Britain was prepared for such an attack, the former Conservative shadow homeland security minister said: "No, we have certain numbers of troops and police available for these sorts of operations but we have to be clear, these are large numbers of well armed, well disciplined terrorists.

"If we are going to have to cope with this sort of thing in the future, not least that we've got the Olympic games coming up which will be like a magnet for this sort of thing, we're going to have to think very carefully about the number of specialist forces we have, how they are trained, how we raise and organise more of these people, where we keep them, how we deploy them.

"We need to look at expanding this force up to about a battalion's worth, probably about 500 of highly specialised and highly trained and above all available policeman and soldiers who can be called upon in these sorts of circumstances to deal with this sort of thing.

"It's nobody's fault, I'm not pointing the finger at the Government or the Ministry of Defence but currently we don't have those resources there."

Responding to the remarks, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said: "What people should be assured (of) is that there is vigilance and constant reappraisal, and that in relation to the Olympics the level of security provided will be consistent and appropriate to the level of risk."