British police have said they had launched an inquiry into how a secret police dossier went missing that according to a newspaper report contained counter-terrorist plans for London's Heathrow airport. The dossier, found lying in a road, showed 62 sites at the airport where al Qaeda was most likely to launch anti-aircraft missile strikes, the Sun newspaper said in its Monday edition. The Sun said the dossier included facts about surveillance, escape routes, evacuation plans and deployment of rooftop snipers at the world's busiest international hub. The plans, which have since been returned to police, were found by a motorist, the newspaper said. A police spokeswoman could give no details about what the dossier contained or where it was found, but confirmed it had been returned to police.
"We treat any breach of security extremely seriously," the spokeswoman said. "We have launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances of how these documents went missing and will take the appropriate action when we have ascertained the facts surrounding this matter," the spokeswoman said. She could not confirm whether the dossier was compiled by the SO18 anti-terrorist Aviation Security team, which is based at Heathrow police station.
According to The Sun, the papers contained detailed maps and photographs, including aerial and satellite shots. In one section, the dossier identified a field close to the airport as being ideal for a terrorist attack. "This site affords an excellent site to attack aircraft departing Heathrow," the Sun quoted from the dossier, saying it included aerial and satellite photographs of the site. Dated June 26 2004, the dossier gave surveillance and assessment information valid until December, the newspaper said. |