This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/6202851.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Blair 'confident' about Menezes Blair issues terror plot warning
(about 1 hour later)
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has said he is "confident" of being cleared in the inquiry into the killing by police of an innocent man. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair claims the UK is facing an unparalled and growing threat of a terrorist attack.
Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, he stressed his belief an inquiry will clear him of any misconduct. However, he said there was "no specific intelligence" about an imminent attack but the threat was "ever present".
He also defended an anti-terror raid in Forest Gate, east London, claiming the shooting of a man during the operation was an accident. Sir Ian also said he is "confident" of being cleared of misconduct over the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes.
Subsequent terror plots justified the decision to launch the raid, he said. And he defended an anti-terror raid in Forest Gate claiming the shooting of a man during the raid was an accident.
'Quite confident' Subsequent terror plots justified the decision to launch the operation, he told the BBC's Today programme.
On 22 July, 2005, 27-year-old Mr de Menezes was shot inside a train at Stockwell Tube station by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber. 'No intelligence'
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are conducting an inquiry into Mr de Menezes' death, which came soon after 7 July Tube bombings. Defending the high security levels which have been maintained in London, Sir Ian said the threat of terrorism was "far graver" than those faced during World War II, the Cold War or the IRA.
Mr Menezes was on a Tube train in Stockwell when he was shot He said although there were no details about a terrorist attack during the Christmas period, the country faced a "level of unparalleled threat".
Mr Menezes was on a Tube train in Stockwell when he was shotHe added: "I think the threat of another terrorist attempt is ever-present.
"We have no specific intelligence but listeners may remember that there was a terrorist plot in Germany against one of their Christmas markets in 2002, so it's a possibility."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is conducting an inquiry into the death of 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes in July 2005.
He was shot inside a train at Stockwell Tube station by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber.
Sir Ian said: "I'd say this: I, for my own part, I am quite confident that I will not face any kind of misconduct... in relation to Stockwell."Sir Ian said: "I'd say this: I, for my own part, I am quite confident that I will not face any kind of misconduct... in relation to Stockwell."
When questioned about his confidence, he added: "I'll just say that I'm confident, shall we leave it at that?"When questioned about his confidence, he added: "I'll just say that I'm confident, shall we leave it at that?"
The commissioner criticised the length of the inquiry, adding: "It's difficult to understand how an organisation can take 13 months to investigate what I did or did not say on one particular day."
Sir Ian also defended the high security levels which have been maintained in London.
'Cliff-edge choice''Cliff-edge choice'
He said although there was no specific intelligence about a terrorist attack during the Christmas period, the country faced a "level of unparalleled threat". The commissioner criticised the length of the inquiry, adding: "It's difficult to understand how an organisation can take 13 months to investigate what I did or did not say on one particular day."
He added: "I think the threat of another terrorist attempt is ever-present. Defending the Forest Gate raid, which cost police £2m, Sir Ian said officers have to take with tough decisions.
Mohammed Abdul Kahar (right) was shot during the Forest Gate raid Mohammed Abdul Kahar (right) was shot during the Forest Gate raid"I describe that as a cliff-edge choice, if you fall one way you knock your head on the rock and the other way you fall 200ft into the sea.
"We have no specific intelligence but listeners may remember that there was a terrorist plot in Germany against one of their Christmas markets in 2002, so it's a possibility."
Defending the Forest Gate raid, which cost police £2m, Sir Ian said police have to take with tough decisions.
"I describe that as a cliff-edge choice, if you fall one way you knock your head on the rock and the other way you fall 200ft into the sea.
"We have learnt a lot from Forest Gate and you saw that in the way we handled the airline plot.""We have learnt a lot from Forest Gate and you saw that in the way we handled the airline plot."
Sir Ian also said that nowadays officers are so overwhelmed in paperwork that their work is suffering.Sir Ian also said that nowadays officers are so overwhelmed in paperwork that their work is suffering.
"When I was a young officer I could carry out three straightforward arrests in eight hours. No officer could do that now... now its one (arrest).""When I was a young officer I could carry out three straightforward arrests in eight hours. No officer could do that now... now its one (arrest)."