Terrorist poison plotters 'still active in Britain'

Foreign terrorists believed to be behind the plot to spread ricin poison in London are still active in Britain, say police and intelligence services.

They belong to the Algerian Islamist organisation Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which is affiliated to al Qaeda.

Kamel Bourgass, 31, who was jailed on Thursday for 17 years for plotting to make homemade poisons and explosives in a London flat, was sent to al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan by GSPC, the police and security services say.

Although the Metropolitan Police's anti-terrorist branch and MI5 are convinced the Algerian organisation has been severely disrupted by the operation, in which about 100 suspects were arrested, they believe dozens of supporters are still living in Britain.

GSPC has provided fighters for the conflicts in Chechnya, Kashmir and the Balkans, as well as the nucleus of many urban terrorist cells in Europe.

The group has followers based in Britain involved in fundraising and logistical support, but anti-terrorist officers believe they have become more radical as their leaders have become more aligned with al Qaeda's aims.

"The people in Britain are not being controlled by al Qaeda, there is no chain of command directly linked to them, they are much more autonomous. But there remains a number of individuals in the UK who adhere to the same line as al Qaeda."

No one knows how many foreigners there are living in Britain who support the aims of al Qaeda and extremist groups aligned to them. The focus of attention for the police and MI5 has switched more recently to home-grown extremists - young British Muslims who have become radicalised while in Britain or during travels abroad.

Britain's security services remain on their second highest state of alert - known internally as "severe general" - and extra anti-terrorist measures have been introduced in the run-up to the general election.

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