Parsons Green Tube bomb: Second arrest suggests it was not a 'lone wolf' attack, Amber Rudd says

Amber Rudd: The Home Secretary said the second arrest in the investigation into the Parsons Green Tube attack suggests it was not a 'lone wolf' incident
PA
Sean Morrison @seanmorrison_17 September 2017

Amber Rudd has said the Parsons Green Tube bombing was not a “lone wolf” attack, after police made a second arrest over the incident that left 29 people injured.

The Home Secretary agreed the second arrest suggested more than one person was behind the attack, but added that “it’s too early to reach any final conclusions”.

In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday, she said it is “inevitable that so-called Islamic State will reach in and try and claim responsibility… we have no evidence to suggest that yet.”

She said the attack was the latest in a year “like no other”, after five terror attacks on the UK.

It comes as 21-year-old man was arrested over the attack in south-west London, after an 18-year-old man was arrested in the port area of Dover on Saturday morning.

She said: “It’s too early to reach any final conclusions on that [whether or not it was a ‘lone wolf’ attack]. This has been a year like no other… We have seen five serious attacks and six that were foiled by the police.

“And the police are getting on with their operation today. They are working closely with the security services… They have made two arrests. And they will be working hard to see what else they can find out about this attacker.”

Parsons Green explosion incident on the Tube - In pictures

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A huge manhunt was launched after a device in a bucket exploded on a rush hour District line train on Friday morning, forcing passengers to flee in panic. Emergency services said that 29 people were injured in the blast.

Detectives investigating the attack said they were “keeping an open mind” as to whether the Tube bomber was acting alone or as part of a wider network of terrorists.

A key strand of the investigation has focused on CCTV as officers comb through footage to establish who planted the device, and when and where it was placed on the train.

The first man was arrested at around 7.50am, in the port which is the busiest ferry hub in Europe and serves as a commercial gateway to the French coast, including Calais and Dunkirk.

The second was detained in Hounslow at around 23.50 on Saturday night, police said. He has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.

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