Ulster's airports put on tightest alert

Local & National

Security measures at the George Best City airport have been stepped up

Monday, July 02, 2007

By Claire Regan

Security at two of Northern Ireland's busiest airports intensified last night as the province went on critical terror alert in line with the rest of the UK.

Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward confirmed yesterday that Ulster had been stepped up to the Government's highest state of alert in response to three terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow in recent days.

In the wake of Saturday's attack at Glasgow Airport - which saw a burning car being crashed into the front of the main terminal building - Belfast's two main airports responded with an increase in security.

Belfast International Airport confirmed last night that security procedures had been reinforced but that operations were running as "normal".

A spokesman could not release details, but it was understood two extra police vehicles were drafted in and patrolling by airport police had been intensified.

"The Airport Police remain vigorous in their duties and are maintaining extra vigilance," the spokesman said.

"We are very grateful to the travelling public who have been turning up in good time and coping very well with the situation."

A small number of flights between Glasgow and Aldergrove were delayed or cancelled early yesterday but had returned to normal by late afternoon.

A spokesman for the George Best Belfast City Airport confirmed that security there had also been stepped up.

He said details of the operation were not being released but confirmed the airport was "operating as normal".

All flights between the City Airport and Glasgow had arrived and departed as normal throughout yesterday, he added.

Saturday's attack, which threw flights between the Scottish city and Northern Ireland into chaos over the weekend, is being linked to the discovery of two car bombs in London's West End.

Mr Woodward told the BBC that the critical threat level was the same right across the UK - the highest of five states of alert in a system introduced last year.

Calling for vigilance, Northern Ireland's new Secretary of State said: " We are taking all the appropriate steps to protect people in Northern Ireland."

He said times had changed as, in the past, references to terrorism in Britain were "absolutely specific to Northern Ireland".

"Today when we talk about this - and it's a bizarre thing to talk about in the context of being normal - terrorism by and large in Northern Ireland is actually the problem which we all face throughout the UK," he said.

"It is the threat from al-Qaeda and related terrorist groups who want to disrupt our British way of life - we are not going to let that happen."

Five people had last night been arrested over the attacks - two at Glasgow airport, two in Cheshire and a fifth in Liverpool. Houses in Staffordshire, Liverpool and near Glasgow were also searched.