UK NEWS

RAIL PASSENGERS TO FACE TERROR CHECKS

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announcing the anti-terror measures today

Wednesday November 14,2007

By Emily Garnham for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(14)

TRAIN passengers are to have their baggage screened under new anti-terror laws, the Prime Minister announced today.

The controversial move, which could cause widespread delays to travellers at large mainline stations, is part of a £400m package of measures designed to to protect the country from radicalisation and “isolate extremists”.

Launching a report by security minister Lord West at the House of Commons, Gordon Brown said no major failures in our protective security” in the UK were uncovered.

But he said that the extra security at railway stations, as well as airports and ports, was vital.

While luggage screening and passenger searches in sensitive locations such as large rail stations will be introduced, the one-bag per passenger rule at airports will be “progressively lifted” from the New Year.

Rail passengers could face lengthy delays

He added that safeguarding against vehicle bomb attacks with barriers, vehicle exclusion zones and by making buildings blast resistant, was a necessity.

Public hotspots that attract large crowds - such as cinemas, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues, hospitals, schools, and places of worship - will be given strategies to cope with suspect activity and civilian staff will be trained to deal with terror threats.

Another “100 sensitive installations” such as universities, public libraries and schools would also be affected, but the Prime Minister insisted this would not impact on freedom of speech.

Following the terror attempt in a crowded London street in June and incident at Glasgow Airport, Lord West has proposed that architects and planners should work with the Government to design anti-terror buildings with safe
areas, traffic control measures and blast resistant materials.

The Prime Minister repeatedly insisted that the new security measures would not ostracise the Muslim community.

School children would be encouraged to mix with others of different religions and background from a young age in a £2 million “school linking project”. Young volunteers of all faiths would be encouraged to participate in overseas exchange programmes.

Mr Brown also plans to bring together police and security intelligence to crack down on extremists’ “inner circle” and those under the influence of extremism.

Tory leader David Cameron argued the PM’s speech included “a lot of generalisation” and added: “ We are delighted that we are providing good ideas that the Prime Minister is taking on.”

BETTER OFF CHECKING PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF MOSQUES!

15.11.07, 4:46pm

They'd be far better off checking people as they arrived and left Mosques than railway stations and airports. Let's face it all the plots to date can be traced to some Mosque or other.

If you want to catch the next batch of terrorists then look no further than your local Mosque!

• Posted by: Robertocarlo • Report Comment

WESEX WOES

15.11.07, 2:03pm

"Tis the work of the devil and I would that St George were here to drive it right back out of Wessex whence it came so I do.." Such were the fears of my cousin Chastity Milkingstool as the railway first came to Widdecombe over a century ago.

Well if only they knew then what we know now, that when they lay down those shining new parallel lines they were in effect laying down a red carpet to welcome fire-breathing foreigners of every colour of the rainbow and beyond to our shores.

Well I for one will never catch another train as long as I live. That'll learn 'em!

• Posted by: flogemall • Report Comment

HOME OFFICE

15.11.07, 7:46am

To protect us there will have to be recruitment of many security officers - they will be no doubt from private companies who if they want the contract have to copy HO p.c. idocy - this will mean of course that in about two three years the vast majority of security offices will be illegal immigrants! (again and again).
Labour Governments ar always circular!

• Posted by: nowyouknow • Report Comment

WHATS THE PLOBLEM ? IVE NOTHING TO HIDE

14.11.07, 11:21pm

Would rather spend my time in the morning minutes talking to the police than my morning waiting in A&E ,,,

• Posted by: Silverfox • Report Comment

GET REAL!!!

14.11.07, 10:12pm

So rail passengers have to undergo security checks, which will of course cost the taxpayer a large fortune AND cause even more delays for rail travellers, while thousands of miles of track go totally unprotected…..

It sounds to me as though the government simply wants to appear (yet again) as though they are actually doing something constructive, while wasting even more of the taxpayer’s money and achieving absolutely nothing – apart from upsetting rail travellers!

Spin spin spin spin spin!

Now if I was a ‘bomber’ would I want to target a railway station or a nice stretch of easily accessible track on a busy mainline route – or two or three???

What a crock of ‘the brown smelly stuff’!!!

• Posted by: Cynical_sid • Report Comment

TERROR CHECKS

14.11.07, 8:54pm

AND DONT FORGET, THROUGH BROWN, THE TAXPAYER WAS THE PAYMASTER FOR BLIARS WARMONGERING AND REMEMBER, BROWN WAS TOTALLY COMPLICIT IN EVERYTHING BLIAR DID.

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment