Counter Terror Business - Transport Security

Man charged after train attack

Polly Jones — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:12:07 +0000

Man charged after train attack

A 32-year-old man from Peterborough has been charged with ten counts of attempted murder, one count of ABH (Actual Bodily Harm), and one count of possession of bladed article, after an attack on a train near Huntingdon on Saturday.

The suspect has been named as Anthony Williams.

Several people were stabbed on a train from Doncaster bound for London King's Cross. 11 people were treated in hospital, five have since been discharged and one is still in hospital in a stable, but critical condition.

The person in a life-threatening condition is believed to be a member of train staff who tried to stop the attacker.

The train left Doncaster at 18.25 on Saturday. Cambridgeshire police received a call at 19:39 and British Transport Police at 19:42

The train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon at 19:52, where armed police arrested two men.

One of those arrested, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further action.

Williams has also been charged with an additional count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in relation to an incident on London's DLR network in the early hours of Saturday. It has been reported that a victim there suffered facial injuries after being attacked with a knife at Pontoon Dock station on London's DLR network at 00:46.

The incident is not being treated as terror-related and the motive is not yet known.

Police presence has been increased at stations around the country.

Williams is due to appear in court this morning charged with with ten counts of attempted murder, one count of ABH (Actual Bodily Harm), and one count of possession of bladed article in connection to the incident at Huntingdon and one count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in connection to the Pontoon Dock incident.

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: "The criminal investigation and support for the victims is a priority for British Transport Police.”

“Our investigation is also looking at other possible linked offences. Following the charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service I would stress the importance of not saying or publishing anything which might jeopardise or prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings, or the integrity of the investigation."

'See it. Say it. Sorted.' gets a refresh

Polly Jones — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:10:13 +0000

The train security campaign 'See it. Say it. Sorted.' is getting a new design, in its first major refresh for 10 years.

Since its launch in 2016, the campaign has seen reports to British Transport Police’s 61016 text service increase more than eightfold to 255,088 a year.

Posters on trains have had a makeover to clearly display the 61016 number. ‘See it. Say it. Sorted’ train and station announcements have had an upgrade to make their wording clearer.

The new campaign is intended to help passengers more easily identify when something doesn't look right, by explicitly showing and telling them what this could be - for example, an unattended bag, or someone accessing an area they shouldn’t.

Meanwhile, the government is allocating nearly £17 million so Network Rail can make improvements to enhance police access to CCTV from railway stations. This will enable BTP officers to have more access to real-time footage from across the railway and help to identify offenders as quickly as possible.

Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said: "See it. Say it. Sorted’ isn’t just an earworm that’s been the soundtrack to our trains for nearly a decade now – it’s a really important security and public safety campaign.

"It plays a crucial role in making our railways safe and this refresh will help spread its message to even more people.

"We’re committed to making our railway as secure as possible, which is why we’re also improving CCTV connectivity, to help police identify offenders and bring them to justice faster – particularly key as we work towards our goal of halving violence against women and girls in the next decade."

BTP Chief Constable, Lucy D’Orsi, said: "Our officers are out across the railway network 24/7 working to keep the public safe – but ‘See it. Say it. Sorted’ reminds us that passengers and rail staff also have a vital role to play in being our eyes and ears.

"Our pioneering 61016 text service is a simple and discreet way to report crime across the rail network, and thanks to the ‘See it. Say it. Sorted’ campaign, you can save 61016 in your phone today and contact BTP immediately if something doesn’t feel right on your journey.

"Over 1 million 61016 texts have been sent since its introduction in 2013 – so I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the public for continuing to help us create a network of vigilance. Trust your instincts and text us on 61016."

UN body rules Russia responsible for downing of MH17

Polly Jones — Wed, 14 May 2025 11:13:31 +0000

The United Nations aviation agency has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine in 2014.

A majority of UN's Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council States decided that the Russian Federation breached Article 3bis of the Chicago Convention by using weapons against civil aircraft in flight which led to the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014.

All 298 people on board were killed when the plane was hit by a Russian-made missile as it was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

A dutch court ruled in 2022 that a Russian-controlled group was responsible for the downing of the plane - two Russians and a Ukrainian were convicted in absentia of murder. They have not served any time in prison.

In a statement, the UK government said: "Through this decision, the ICAO Council upholds respect for the Convention on International Civil Aviation and sets out important expectations in relation to the obligations on States to create safer skies and, moreover, that those who violate the rules set out under this Convention will be held to account.

"Most importantly, this decision helps secures justice for the families of the 298 people lost as a result of the downing of flight MH17, including 10 UK citizens, on 17 July 2014. It is also a salient reminder of Russia’s reckless and dangerous behaviour and its callous disregard for civilian lives.

"This is the first time the ICAO Council has taken a decision on the merits of an ICAO international legal dispute in its 80-year history, and the UK congratulates the clear leadership provided by ICAO to ensure the case was progressed robustly and transparently. The UK remains committed to supporting ICAO in its endeavours to uphold international law and to ensure our skies remain safe and secure."

New funding for smart airport technology

Polly Jones — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:37:13 +0000

New funding has been announced by the Department for Transport for smart airport technology.

Six British tech companies are set to receive a share of £450,000 to develop the smart screening technology, which will enhance UK security and reduce delays at airports.

The companies will develop scanning equipment to improve threat detection and reduce the number of false alarms and manual checks, speeding up screening processes and reducing inconvenience to passengers.

Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said: "Safety is our top priority and this funding will strengthen the UK’s already rigorous security standards, bolster our competitiveness internationally and ensure that passengers can continue to fly with ease of mind.

"As part of our Plan for Change, we are turbocharging investment in the aviation sector and going further and faster with expansion plans to kickstart economic growth and deliver high-skilled jobs across the country."

The programme will also provide tailored business support workshops delivered by experts at the Connected Places Catapult. The workshops will provide advice and mentoring on issues ranging from technical matters, corporate finance, regulation, trial design, customer needs and more.

Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at Connected Places Catapult, said: "Making transport efficient, inclusive and safe is a key priority for Connected Places Catapult. By supporting innovators with ideas to further strengthen security at airports, not only are we helping to improve the passenger experience, but we are also supporting companies to develop and scale here in the UK."

Cyberattack hits train stations

Polly Jones — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:12:15 +0000

A cyberattack has hit the wifi at several UK railway stations.

People logging on to the wifi at stations were then met with a screen about terror attacks in Europe.

Affected stations include London Cannon Street, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. Stations in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere are also affected.

Network Rail said British Transport Police were investigating.

It was also reported that other organisations were affected.

Transport for London deal with 'cyber security incident'

Robyn Quick — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:02:31 +0000

Transport for London (TfL) are dealing with an ongoing cyber security incident, but have said there is no evidence that any customer data has been compromised.

TfL sent an email to customers saying they are working closely with the relevant government agencies to respond to the incident.

TfL’s chief technology officer Shashi Verma said: “We have introduced a number of measures to our internal systems to deal with an ongoing cyber security incident."

He added: "The security of our systems and customer data is very important to us and we will continue to assess the situation throughout and after the incident.

"Although we’ll need to complete our full assessment, at present there is currently no evidence that any customer data has been compromised.

"There is currently no impact to TfL services and we are working closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to the incident.”

Airports kick back at re-introduction of liquid limit

Robyn Quick — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:59:11 +0000

Airports have criticised the government’s sudden re-introduction of 100ml limits on liquids in hand luggage last weekend.

Over the weekend, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that from 9 June, 100ml restrictions on liquids will temporarily be reintroduced at UK airports.

These airports are in the process of installing new technology to specifications and a timetable mandated by the government.

The new scanners which produce 3D images should mean liquids up to two litres and laptops can be kept in hand luggage to go through security.

Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA) said: “All airports are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to deliver this huge programme of technology and programme upgrades mandated by Government with equipment and processes to meet their requirements.

“These latest changes announced on Friday, instigated with very little notice, have created uncertainty for passengers just as airports enter their busiest periods of the year."

She added that it has put airport operators in a "challenging position" as they have limited time to prepare for additional staffing and the wider resources the change will require.

"Airports are doing all that they can to mitigate the impact of this for passengers," she said.

"The safety and security of staff, passengers and airport communities is our number one priority, and everyone should be assured that airports will never compromise on this.”

Transport secretary Mark Harper has insisted the re-imposition of the old limits is "temporary" but it’s unclear how long the situation will last.

The DfT said it had communicated with airports swiftly upon receiving new information.

Teen arrested for terror offence following stop at airport

Robyn Quick — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 10:12:14 +0000

A 17-year-old has been arrested by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of a terrorism offence after he was initially stopped by police using 'schedule 7' counter terrorism powers as he returned to the UK on a flight into London Gatwick Airport.

The teenager was stopped under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act (TACT), 2000 on 2 June.

Officers also examined his mobile phone during the stop and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of dissemination of terrorist material, contrary to section 2, TACT, 2006.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said: "We work closely with other partner agencies to monitor our ports and borders and the powers available to us under schedule 7 help us to keep the UK safe from potential terrorist threats.

"This is also another example of a teenager being arrested for terrorism offences and it is a concerning trend that we have been seeing for some time.

"Our message to parents, carers, friends and family is that if you have any worries or concerns about a loved-one being radicalised or drawn into extremism or terrorism, then please ACT Early and get in touch so that we can help before it could be too late.”

The 17-year-old boy was interviewed at a London police station and has been released on bail until a date in July. The investigation relates to extreme Islamist-related material.

As part of the investigation, officers have also carried out a search at a residential address in south west London and enquiries remain ongoing.

HMS Duncan deploys to the Red Sea to protect shipping routes

Robyn Quick — Thu, 30 May 2024 09:48:56 +0000

The Royal Navy's warship HMS Duncan has deployed from Portsmouth today to the Red Sea.

The Type 45 destroyer will relieve its sister ship HMS Diamond, which has been protecting shipping lanes in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks since before Christmas.

HMS Duncan is a like-for-like replacement for Diamond – armed with the same Sea Viper missile system and equipped with the same radar systems, which are able to accurately detect faraway threats.

During her deployment, HMS Diamond has shot down nine drones and one missile, launched by Houthis from the coast of Yemen at cargo ships.

The 200 men and women of HMS Duncan have worked to ensure that their ship is ready to deploy, successfully completing trials and training last week in preparation for the deployment, which will see the ship work to ensure freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for merchant vessels.

HMS Duncan spent five months leading NATO’s premier task group in the Mediterranean Sea last year, until handing over flagship duties to the Italian Navy in December.

The ship is now ready for more operations, with over 60 new members joining the ship’s company.

Security measures increased in general aviation space

Robyn Quick — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:49:20 +0000

Fines of up to £10,000 for international general aviation flights that do not submit advance passenger information online up to two hours before departure have been introduced.

Pilots, owners and operators of private aircraft will now be liable for the fines if they do not provide Border Force with advance passenger information online before they depart to or from the UK, under new regulations with the aim to strengthen border security.

The new regulations – which were laid in Parliament in November last year and came into force on 6 April - will mean that Border Force and the police will attempt to better identify potential security threats, prevent and detect crime.

Previously, advance passenger information could be submitted by email, fax or other manual methods.

Minister for legal migration and the Border, Tom Pursglove MP said: "Keeping our borders safe and secure is one of my top priorities."

He said: "These new regulations that are effective [...] will strengthen our border security further by making it easier for Border Force and the police to perform robust security checks on people who fly to and from the UK on a private or unscheduled general aviation flight."

They will also attempt to ensure that Border Force can prevent people they have security concerns about from travelling to the UK, and that they can deploy resources more effectively.

Where notified of a general aviation flight, Border Force clears 100 per cent of flights either in person or remotely, in line with standard protocols.

Since 1 January 2024, the number of airfields approved to handle international general aviation flights has been reduced by 84 per cent. There is a penalty regime in place for non-compliance with this requirement.

The �鶹�� Office said moving to online only submissions will improve automated security checks and enable Border Force and the police to make more intelligence-led decisions.

Ahead of the regulations coming into force, Border Force has developed a free-to-use online digital service.