Terror police radios do not work on Tube

A terrifying flaw in London's defence against a terror attack on the Tube can be revealed today.

Metropolitan Police officers called to a terrorist incident - or any major alert - on London Underground could not communicate with each other because their radios would not work there.

Radios issued to ambulance staff are also useless, it emerged today.

Senior officers at Scotland Yard are seriously concerned at the situation and Deputy Commissioner Sir Ian Blair is said to have raised the issue with the Home Secretary.

The problem affects radios issued to Met police who would be at the forefront of dealing with any major terrorist incident in London. British Transport Police, whose officers patrol the Tube, do have radios that function under ground. However, because of the limited number of officers in the transport force, few would be involved in handling a major incident.

The failure has only just emerged but it is understood the authorities have known about it for at least two-andahalf years.

London Fire Brigade now has radios that work underground after a report highlighted concern about the issue following the King's Cross fire.

Incredibly, police attending an incident on the Tube are advised to wait for a member of the LU staff, who are equipped with working radios, before venturing further.

Richard Barnes, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "I have been trying to get something done about this for years. I find the situation incredibly worrying.

"To have police officers deep underground where they cannot even talk to each other at either end of the station is a major issue. This is part of the preparedness of London for a terrorist incident.

"The one thing you have got to have as a front-line rescue service is a communication system that works. You have to be able to talk to each other otherwise you could be directing more people into danger. "

He revealed that when London staged a major terror alert at Bank Underground Station last year police had to install special equipment to enable the radios to work.

He said: "Even then it took firemen 40 minutes to reach the platform. Had there been a major incident, in reality I do not think we would have got people out."

About 22 deep-level stations are affected by the problem, including St James' Park, just a short distance from Scotland Yard. It is understood one reason nothing has been done to solve the issue is a row over who funds it.

The Home Office says London Underground should pay. Mr Barnes said: "They have been dragging their feet over who pays for it."

In a statement the Met admitted officers' radios did not work in "London Undergroundstations that have no open-air section of track".

The statement added: "Arrangements are in place with London Underground for a member of staff with a radio to accompany any Met personnel going into these stations, or to provide them with a radio on arrival.

"Met officers must inform their control room both before they go out of radio contact and when they return to the police radio network.

"A risk assessment must also be made by officers before entering an area that does not have radio contact with a Met control room."

The Home Office has launched a project to identify a technical solution.