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| Terror raids follow files blunder | Terror raids follow files blunder |
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| Twelve men have been arrested in the north west of England after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism police officer sparked a security alert. | Twelve men have been arrested in the north west of England after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism police officer sparked a security alert. |
| Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick said he "deeply regretted" revealing a secret document to photographers when he arrived for a briefing at No 10. | Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick said he "deeply regretted" revealing a secret document to photographers when he arrived for a briefing at No 10. |
| The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an ongoing counter-terrorism operation. | The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an ongoing counter-terrorism operation. |
| The 12 suspects were later arrested at locations across north-west England. | The 12 suspects were later arrested at locations across north-west England. |
| It is understood the raids at eight addresses took place sooner than planned due to the documents being revealed. | It is understood the raids at eight addresses took place sooner than planned due to the documents being revealed. |
| Opposition MPs were swift to criticise Mr Quick, with the Liberal Democrats describing him as "accident prone" and the Conservatives condemning his "extraordinary and very alarming" lapse of judgement. | Opposition MPs were swift to criticise Mr Quick, with the Liberal Democrats describing him as "accident prone" and the Conservatives condemning his "extraordinary and very alarming" lapse of judgement. |
| Former Labour Mayor of London Ken Livingstone defended Mr Quick, saying it would be wrong for such an experienced officer to resign "for holding a piece of paper the wrong way". | |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made no comment about the officer's mistake. Instead, she praised police for their professionalism. | |
| "The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the security service but the Prime Minister and I were kept fully appraised of developments," she added. | "The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the security service but the Prime Minister and I were kept fully appraised of developments," she added. |
| Word spread that one of the men might have had a bomb and some people started to panic Student Daniel Taylor | Word spread that one of the men might have had a bomb and some people started to panic Student Daniel Taylor |
| Some hours after the Downing Street incident, two men outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University were arrested by armed officers from the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit. | Some hours after the Downing Street incident, two men outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University were arrested by armed officers from the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit. |
| Other students said they heard police shouting at the two suspects, then saw them lying face down on the floor. | Other students said they heard police shouting at the two suspects, then saw them lying face down on the floor. |
| Witnesses said they were advised over the library loudspeaker to stay away from the windows for their own safety. | Witnesses said they were advised over the library loudspeaker to stay away from the windows for their own safety. |
| Journalism student Daniel Taylor said: "I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head." | Journalism student Daniel Taylor said: "I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head." |
| Police wearing blue plastic gloves were searching the man, along with a second man nearby, and both appeared to be "ordinary students", Mr Taylor said. | Police wearing blue plastic gloves were searching the man, along with a second man nearby, and both appeared to be "ordinary students", Mr Taylor said. |
| Ten of those arrested are Pakistan-born nationals on student visas and one is a UK-born British national. | Ten of those arrested are Pakistan-born nationals on student visas and one is a UK-born British national. |
| Their ages are not precisely known but range between a teenager who is in his mid-to-late teens and a 41-year-old man. | |
| Greater Manchester Police said several hundred officers were involved in the operation, including armed officers during some of the arrests. | Greater Manchester Police said several hundred officers were involved in the operation, including armed officers during some of the arrests. |
| Four addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, are being searched. | Four addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, are being searched. |
| Three premises are being searched in Merseyside, plus a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire. | Three premises are being searched in Merseyside, plus a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire. |
| Two men are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid. | |
| Witnesses said two men were taken from the Cheetham Hill cafe after police arrived. | |
| Mesu Raza, who lives in a flat above the cafe, said: "I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed. | |
| "Two police vans arrived outside the shop and there was more police went round the back. There were many officers and a large number of police vans." | "Two police vans arrived outside the shop and there was more police went round the back. There were many officers and a large number of police vans." |
| The counter-terrorism officers were assisted by officers from Merseyside Police, Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary. | The counter-terrorism officers were assisted by officers from Merseyside Police, Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary. |
| Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of the North West CTU said: "Today's action is part of a continuing investigation and we have acted on intelligence received. | Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of the North West CTU said: "Today's action is part of a continuing investigation and we have acted on intelligence received. |
| "Although the operation is ongoing, this phase is still in its very early stages, so the information we can release about it is limited." | "Although the operation is ongoing, this phase is still in its very early stages, so the information we can release about it is limited." |
| Judgement questioned | Judgement questioned |
| Earlier on Wednesday press photographers in Downing Street pictured Mr Quick clutching a white document marked "secret" and containing the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat. Details of the information revealed cannot be reported. | Earlier on Wednesday press photographers in Downing Street pictured Mr Quick clutching a white document marked "secret" and containing the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat. Details of the information revealed cannot be reported. |
| Mr Quick was attending the meeting in his role as lead for counter terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). | Mr Quick was attending the meeting in his role as lead for counter terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). |
| On Wednesday evening he apologised to Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error. | On Wednesday evening he apologised to Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error. |
| A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Assistant Commissioner Quick accepts he made a mistake on leaving a sensitive document on open view and deeply regrets it. | A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Assistant Commissioner Quick accepts he made a mistake on leaving a sensitive document on open view and deeply regrets it. |
| "He has apologised to the Commissioner and colleagues." | "He has apologised to the Commissioner and colleagues." |
| Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said Mr Quick's judgement had been called into question. | Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said Mr Quick's judgement had been called into question. |
| He told the BBC: "The exposure of this document is alarming and quite extraordinary | He told the BBC: "The exposure of this document is alarming and quite extraordinary |
| "The information on the document gave quite a lot of details that was going on. This was highly sensitive information that should not have been carried under an arm in front of a line of photographers." | "The information on the document gave quite a lot of details that was going on. This was highly sensitive information that should not have been carried under an arm in front of a line of photographers." |
| Secrets revealed | Secrets revealed |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick seems to be increasingly accident prone which is potentially dangerous given the serious responsibilities of his role." | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick seems to be increasingly accident prone which is potentially dangerous given the serious responsibilities of his role." |
| Ken Livingstone said Mr Quick would be feeling like "a complete idiot". | |
| But he added: "The idea that we should offer up the person who's at the head of our counter terrorism, with years of experience - a dedicated public servant, for one mistake of holding a piece of paper the wrong way - well, al-Qaeda will be delighted." | |
| Mr Quick, once seen as a "safe pair of hands" by Scotland Yard colleagues, ordered the controversial arrest of senior Tory MP Damian Green over alleged security leaks. | Mr Quick, once seen as a "safe pair of hands" by Scotland Yard colleagues, ordered the controversial arrest of senior Tory MP Damian Green over alleged security leaks. |
| He made headlines again last December when he accused the Conservatives of involvement in newspaper stories about his wife's hire car business. | He made headlines again last December when he accused the Conservatives of involvement in newspaper stories about his wife's hire car business. |
| It is not the first time visitors to Downing Street have made the mistake of revealing secret information to the journalists who habitually stand outside No 10. | It is not the first time visitors to Downing Street have made the mistake of revealing secret information to the journalists who habitually stand outside No 10. |
| Last year housing minister Caroline Flint inadvertently showed off secret Cabinet briefing notes revealing a steep projected fall in UK house prices. | Last year housing minister Caroline Flint inadvertently showed off secret Cabinet briefing notes revealing a steep projected fall in UK house prices. |
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| Footage of the anti-terror raid at Liverpool John Moores University | Footage of the anti-terror raid at Liverpool John Moores University |
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