Following the Reading terrorist attack on Saturday a police chief has warned the British public to “be alert.”
Assistant Commisioner Neil Basu who is the head of the counter terrorism policing as the Metropolitan Police has told the public to “be alert,” but “not alarmed.”
Three people were brutally killed on Saturday in Forbury Gardens, Reading with others seriously injured following the terrorist attack.
Basu, said in a statement, there is “no specific intelligence to suggest anyone else attending crowded places is at risk”.
The counter terror chief added, “So I would ask the public to continue in your daily lives but to be alert, not alarmed, when you are in public places.”
A 25-year old man of Libyan descent was arrested and will remain in custody, Basu said at this stage, there is nothing to suggest anyone else was involved.
Basu said, “From our inquiries undertaken so far, officers have found nothing to suggest that there was anyone else involved in this attack and presently we’re not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
“However, counter-terrorism detectives work closely with the security services and will work closely with Thames Valley major crime colleagues and we continue to make inquiries to ensure that is the case.
“Although the motivation for this horrific act is far from certain, counter-terrorism policing have taken responsibility for leading the investigation.
“However, we’re clear that it was not associated in any way with the Black Lives Matter protest which took place peacefully earlier on in the day.”
He added, “This was an atrocity, my deepest sympathies go out to the families who will be mourning loved ones today after this horrific act and to everyone who has been affected by it.
“We’re working with the coroner to formally identify all those who’ve died and to inform and support their relatives.
“I’d like to praise the actions of Thames Valley Police colleagues who responded immediately, and they detained the attacker nearby, unarmed and incredibly brave.
“I also want to pay tribute to the bravery of members of the public who provided emergency first aid at the scene.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, he is “appalled and sickened that people should lose their lives in this way and our thoughts are very much with the family and the friends of the victims today”.
Johnson added, “I’ve obviously talked to the chief constable at Thames Valley Police, thanked him and his officers for their bravery in tackling the suspect.
“We now have someone in custody.
“The police must get on with their job, get to the bottom of exactly what happened, and so it would be difficult really to comment in detail.
“Except to say this, if there are lessons we need to learn about how we handle such cases, how we handle the events leading up to such cases, then we will learn those lessons and we will not hesitate to take action where necessary.”
Campbell said, “Incidents of this nature are very rare, though I know that will be of little comfort to those involved and understand the concern that this incident will have caused amongst our local community.
“We will be working closely with our partners over the coming days and weeks to support the Reading community during this time, as well as with Counter-Terror Police South East (CTPSE) as they progress their investigation.”
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