Soccer summit on terror attack threat

The danger of a chemical or biological attack at a major football ground is being tackled at a "terror summit" today.

Representatives from Arsenal and Coventry City are among those meeting police and firefighters at Stoke City's Britannia stadium to discuss the threat.

Malcolm Millichip, emergency planning consultant to Stoke City Council, who organised the summit, said clubs need contingency plans against possible chemical attack.

"Why attack a military installation when you can attack a sports stadium?" he said. "Clubs need to carry out a risk assessment."

Most football grounds are designed for rapid evacuation. and in the case of the Britannia Stadium - which can hold 28,000 spectators - this can be achieved in eight minutes.

Witnesses said two cars approached a checkpoint in an area housing the US and British embassies, with one exploding as guards approached it.

Jordanian militants said in a video broadcast on Arab television station Al-Jazeera they had killed Georgi Lazov, 30, and were planning to execute a fellow hostage within 24 hours.