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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Police chief under fire for error | Police chief under fire for error |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer has been strongly criticised over his role in "exposing" a highly secret police operation. | Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer has been strongly criticised over his role in "exposing" a highly secret police operation. |
| Police brought forward raids after Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick revealed secret papers to photographers when arriving for a briefing at No 10. | Police brought forward raids after Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick revealed secret papers to photographers when arriving for a briefing at No 10. |
| Twelve men remain in custody after anti-terror officers swooped in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire. | Twelve men remain in custody after anti-terror officers swooped in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire. |
| Opposition MPs say Mr Quick's judgement has been called into question. | Opposition MPs say Mr Quick's judgement has been called into question. |
| The officer has apologised to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error. | The officer has apologised to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made no comment about Mr Quick's mistake, saying the decision to act had been an "operational matter for the police and the security service". | Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made no comment about Mr Quick's mistake, saying the decision to act had been an "operational matter for the police and the security service". |
| Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling described the "clumsy" way the officer had handled the papers as "extraordinary". | Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling described the "clumsy" way the officer had handled the papers as "extraordinary". |
| "If our most senior counter-terrorism officer can't be trusted not to expose highly secret information like this in a public place, then who on Earth can be," he added. | "If our most senior counter-terrorism officer can't be trusted not to expose highly secret information like this in a public place, then who on Earth can be," he added. |
| 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." |
| Charles Shoebridge, a former counter-terrorism intelligence officer, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the act of revealing the memo should be regarded as "quite grave". | |
| "Without any question it is a serious blunder," he said, but added that it was easy to understand how such a mistake happened when officers were moving between meetings. | |
| The most important question was whether it had jeopardised any part of the anti-terror operation, he said. | |
| Series of raids | |
| Mr Quick has remained a controversial figure since ordering the arrest of senior Tory MP Damian Green over alleged security leaks last year. | Mr Quick has remained a controversial figure since ordering the arrest of senior Tory MP Damian Green over alleged security leaks last year. |
| In December, he apologised after accusing the Conservatives of involvement in newspaper stories about his wife's hire car business. | In December, he apologised after accusing the Conservatives of involvement in newspaper stories about his wife's hire car business. |
| However, former London mayor Ken Livingstone said al-Qaeda would be "delighted" if someone with Mr Quick's experience had to step down "for one mistake of holding a piece of paper the wrong way". | However, former London mayor Ken Livingstone said al-Qaeda would be "delighted" if someone with Mr Quick's experience had to step down "for one mistake of holding a piece of paper the wrong way". |
| The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an on-going counter-terrorism operation. | The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an on-going counter-terrorism operation. |
| It contained the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat. | It contained the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat. |
| Some hours after the Downing Street incident, hundreds of officers from the North West counter-terrorism unit carried out a series of raids. | Some hours after the Downing Street incident, hundreds of officers from the North West counter-terrorism unit carried out a series of raids. |
| Jacqui Smith praises officers over the terror raids | Jacqui Smith praises officers over the terror raids |
| Armed officers arrested one man outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University. | Armed officers arrested one man outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University. |
| Police sealed off another three premises in the city for searches, along with five addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, and a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire. | Police sealed off another three premises in the city for searches, along with five addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, and a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire. |
| Two of the suspects are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid. | Two of the suspects are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid. |
| 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 known but range from a youth in his mid-to-late teens to a 41-year-old man. | Their ages are not known but range from a youth in his mid-to-late teens to a 41-year-old man. |
| BBC correspondent Danny Savage said: "Police are hoping their operation will turn out as planned, despite it having to be carried out earlier than anticipated." | BBC correspondent Danny Savage said: "Police are hoping their operation will turn out as planned, despite it having to be carried out earlier than anticipated." |
| Mr Quick had been attending a Downing Street meeting in his role as lead for counter-terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). | Mr Quick had been attending a Downing Street meeting in his role as lead for counter-terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). |
| Details of the information revealed cannot be reported. | Details of the information revealed cannot be reported. |
| 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." |
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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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