The teenager arrested on suspicion of planting a bomb on the Tube is reportedly an Iraqi orphan who moved over to the UK as a refugee three years ago, a community leader said today.
The 18-year-old was detained by police on Saturday morning in connection with the terror attack, which saw 30 people injured when a home-made bomb was detonated on a packed carriage.
Following the arrest, police raided a house in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey - home to foster care couple Penelope and Ronald Jones who have reportedly taken in refugee children in the past.
As police continued to search the property, a local council leader told reporters that he believed the teenage suspect is an Iraqi orphan who moved to Britain aged 15 after his parents died.
Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council Ian Harvey, whose ward is Sunbury East, said he had learnt about the boy's background from neighbours of the Joneses and publicly available information.
He told the Press Association: "One thing I understand is that he was an Iraqi refugee who came here aged 15 - his parents died in Iraq."
The Standard put the claims to the Met police– leading the investigation – but a spokesman could not confirm or deny the reports.
He said the force “would not comment on any details surrounding the suspect’s identity”.
Kent police arrested the teen on Saturday morning in the departures area of Dover ferry terminal.
He was taken into custody at a local police station and will be transferred to a south London police station in due course.
Tourist Daniel Vaselicu, 31, said he saw the "young and light-skinned" man being interrogated by two unarmed police officers moments before his arrest in Dover.
Hours later, armed police evacuated the residential street in Surrey and raided a property registered to the two foster carers.
Mrs and Mrs Jones have been foster carers for 40 years who had taken in up to 300 children, including eight refugees.
According to reports, they had an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old staying with them recently.
The couple are said to be staying with friends for at least the next five days following the police raids, during which surrounding houses were evacuated by counter-terror officers, with residents told they had "one minute" to flee their homes.
On Saturday night, police arrested a 21-year-old man in Hounslow in connection with the investigation.
The suspect, who was detained under the terrorism act, has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
Following the second arrest, police searched another residential address in Stanwell, Surrey.
And forensic teams were also searching a property in Hounslow on Sunday afternoon, with a cordon erected around the house. People were told to stay in their homes.
Thirty people were injured when the improvised device exploded during rush hour at Parsons Green station, with all but one now discharged from hospital.
A key strand of the investigation has focused on CCTV as officers comb through footage to establish who planted the device, and when and where it was placed on the train.
Don’t think I have ever seen such a weak response from a UK PM to a terrorist attack.by Richard Bingley
After all, the intention was to cause mass murder of commuters and tourists. The UK government and main two parties have abdicated responsibility for national security. They offer no solutions and therefore the deterrent has eroded.
The initial statements from Sadiq Khan and Theresa May are actually quite profound because, in the unspoken rules of the security operating theatre, they are actually say to Jihadi terrorists: ‘we don’t know what to do, we’re scared, come and attack us’.
There is a simple truth here: if we British citizens don’t defend ourselves we will keep being murdered.
I’m intrigued that the PM will not refer to human terminology such as ‘innocent’, ‘people’ or ‘murder’ in her statements. This dehumanises us as victims.
Instead she talks in abstract terms about ‘intended to ’cause significant harm’ or that the ‘threat’ level remains at ‘severe’ yet the public should go about their ‘daily life’s normally. This is wrong in both moral and practical terms.
For example, how can we travel on the tube if we are terrified about using public transport or might actually be killed or injured?
Some solutions: new counter-terrorism legislation: pre-trial detention of known mass murder plot suspects (as advised by the UK’s most Muslim senior police officer, Tariq Ghaffur); compulsory orders to close mosques or any other community centre permitting dissemination of violent propaganda; minimum sentences of 20 years for all terror offences;
tightening of immigration from at risk countries and communities; revoke ECHR; bilateral agreements to repatriate non UK hate preachers; 20,000 more police with principle responsibility for counter terrorism; new emergency powers act to expedite military assistance in national security domains and scenarios, including reinstating the 35,000 Armed Forces personnel cut by Theresa May and David Cameron.
Finally, construction of new detention centres to hold terror suspects and material supporters until investigations are completed or court sentencing secured. At present 1/5 convicts are reportedly being groomed by jihadist terrorists inside.
Such suggestions are actually applied and taken for granted as common sense in most countries outside of the EU.
It’s time to put our national security first.
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