Holes in UK terror defences exposed

Major holes in Britain's anti-terrorist defences have been exposed in a damning report.

Weaknesses at airports and seaports could allow terrorists to slip into the country undetected, a government review claimed today. And lax controls on hired executive jets could make them a target for hijackers plotting a 9/11-style attack.

The warnings came in an independent review by Lord Carlile QC.

Calling sea and airports "the front line" in the fight against terrorism, Lord Carlile said customs officers were "thinly spread", and "in some ports of entry a customs officer is an occasional and prized sight. In others there is effectively no Customs scrutiny of incomers". Customs and Excise have withdrawn full-time staffing from some ports, to create roving "intelligence-led" teams.

This move has been criticised by the Customs officers' union, and the report said Special Branch officers share their concern. Lord Carlile called for a parliamentary committee to investigate.

He also found airlines often failed to send British officials advance passenger lists - known as manifests - for flights heading here. Instead, the manifest often only arrives when the plane touches down, leaving no time for a full vetting of all the names.

Lord Carlile described his shock when, during a visit to a major British airport, he was told a manifest had not been forwarded for a large airliner just arrived from a Middle East troublespot. He said the current system was "not sufficient for even routine checks on passengers to be made adequately".

"The sloppiness of the international rules on manifests is not justifiable in the present global terrorism climate."

The report highlights the problem of private executive jets. A growing number of companies hire out jets by the hour, with a pilot included, for intercontinental journeys. But they are subject to a lighter security regime than ordinary airlines.

Lord Carlile said: "The risk of hijacking of such aircraft is not fanciful. Government and the aviation industry have a high responsibility to ensure the effective international policing of such aircraft."

He warned that at some airports, police were working from unsuitable premises due to the pressure to use all available space for shops. However he praised growing links between air and seaport owners, flying clubs and police.