Pope Plot

Pope visit: Five men held over papal terror alert

Five men have been arrested in London by the Metropolitan Police in relation to a potential threat to Pope Benedict XVI's visit.

The arrests were made at 0545 BST in London after counter-terrorism officers received intelligence of a potential threat.

The five men, all street cleaners in Westminster, were taken to a central London police station.

Officers are searching a number of premises. None of the men are British.

The men all worked for Veolia Environment Services, a major contract cleaning company that does work for Westminster Council.

Armed officers arrested the men at the company's Chiltern Street depot, Paddington, as they were preparing to go on shift.

In a statement from Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police said that the five men had been arrested in a Terrorism Act 2000 operation, launched by officers from the force's Counter-Terrorism Command.

The five were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 years old. Residential premises in north and east London are also being searched. Officers have not found any hazardous items.

It is not clear whether the investigations relate to a plot against the Pope himself, an element of the visit or events or other matters that may be connected to the visit. Most of the men are understood to be Algerian.

In the statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "Today's arrests were made after police received information following initial inquiries by detectives. A decision was made to arrest the five men.

"Following today's arrests policing arrangements for the papal visit were reviewed and we are satisfied our current policing plan remains appropriate. The itinerary has not changed. There is no change to the UK threat level."

The current official threat level in the UK is "severe", which means that security chiefs believe a terror attack is "highly likely".

The BBC understands that the information acted on by the police was received by Scotland Yard and did not involve intelligence gathered by MI5, the domestic security service.

Policing bill
The UK's top police officers from England and Scotland spent months planning the security arrangements for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK.

Those plans included threat assessments, standard arrangements covering the safe transport of significant public figures and the potential need to control crowds during the visit's major events.

In all, the policing bill for the visit is expected to top £1m.

Reacting to the development, Father Frederico Lombardi, the Pope's press spokesman, said the Vatican was "totally confident" in Scotland Yard and the ability of its officers.

The papal team had no direct information about the police operation, he said, adding that the Pope remained calm and had been welcomed warmly everywhere he had gone.

"The police have already said that the information demonstrated that there is no need to change the programme," he said.

The BBC's Emily Buchanan, who was with the Pope at his visit to an assembly of children at a Catholic college in west London, described the security around the Pope as "extremely high... with no lapses".

I think that Pope Benedict is one the world's most evil men but I could never justify assassinating him.

He is in his 80s for goodness sake, no need for all that. All you'd need do is pop a paper bag next to his ear

You sure hate the guy. Go take a walk for a few minutes.

No mention on if these guys were... ahem... Muslims. Naw, probably not. Might just be some nut cases from eastern Europe.

He gives sanctuary to paedophiles and wrote a document that calls for victims who speak out to be excommunicated. What's to admire, respect or like about such an evil piece of work?

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:He gives sanctuary to paedophiles and wrote a document that calls for victims who speak out to be excommunicated. What's to admire, respect or like about such an evil piece of work?

I'm not defending the man. Just pointing out your hatred. You weren't a Catholic at one time, were you?

I'm of the Lutheran sect myself but don't practice as you know.

No, never been a Catholic and I have no problems with Catholics or even the position of Pope. I just think that Joseph Ratzinger is a very nasty man.

Yeah, i don't quite share your disdain but i don't even put him in the same class as John Paul II