The Liverpool bomb attack could be the first of many ahead of Christmas, a former top police officer has warned.
The taxi explosion outside Liverpool’s Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday was declared a ‘terror incident’ on Monday.
Emad Al Swealmeen has since been named as the man behind the incident who triggered the device causing the explosion over the weekend.
Hero taxi driver David Perry locked his taxi driver to contain the man with his actions seeing him hailed as a “Liverpool hero”.
The UK’s terror threat has been increased to severe following the explosions meaning an attack is “highly likely”.
In wake of the attack Boris Johnson said in Monday’s press conference: “What yesterday showed above all is that the British people will never be cowed by terrorism, we will never give in to those who seek to divide us with senseless acts of violence.
“And our freedoms and our way of life will always prevail.”
Liverpool terror incident could be ‘first of several’
Now, a former Scotland Yard chief has warned the attack could be linked to Christmas and warned a rise in radicalsation during lockdown could see more attacks ahead of the festive peried.
Speaking to The Telegraph they said: "It is almost certainly linked to Christmas.
"This could be the first of several. It is hard to believe it is a one-off."
Investigation into Liverpool terror incident ‘moving at pace’
Security minister Damian Hinds said he has had the opportunity to speak to officers from counter-terrorism and Merseyside Police about the investigation, which was “moving at pace”.
He said: “Officers of course have learned a great deal more over the time that there’s been but there is still more to learn and there’s further to go in the investigation.”
Asked if he was concerned that a bomb factory appeared to have been set up in the middle of a street in Liverpool, Mr Hinds: “Everybody is concerned when an incident like this happens on our streets, within our shores.
“I think we have to be a little bit careful about jumping to particular ways of describing the set up and so on.
“The police are going through the evidence, the materials found at the address, and a great deal more is now known about them and more will be known about it over the hours, days and weeks to come.
“We have to be vigilant. The threat alert has been raised from substantial to severe, that means an attack it is very likely that someone is plotting and planning an attack.
“We’re asking people not to be alarmed but to be alert because there are people who mean us harm.”
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