Manchester anti-terror unit launched
The UK’s first non-London based anti-terror unit was launched in Manchester today.
The dedicated squad will be made up of 20 officers and four staff and will head terror inquiries and develop contingency plans for terror attacks.
Detective superintendent Peter Minshall of Greater Manchester police is leading the team, which will also implement training schemes to improve the response to terrorism incidents.
“Counter terrorism investigation is an increasingly specialised area,” he said.
“By selecting a team of experienced detectives with a proven track record in major crime investigations, we aim to be at the forefront of any future developments in this field.”
He added that the force was determined to tackle the threat of terrorism “head on”.
The launch comes only a day after it was revealed that a suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist had been jailed for life for the murder of a special branch officer in Manchester in 2003.
But a police spokeswoman stressed that the unit’s location was not in response to a “specific terrorist target”.
