30 June 2007
Gordon Brown has called for the British people to be "resolute and strong" having chaired a meeting of Cobra, the civil contingencies committee, earlier this evening.
The Prime Minister has been fully briefed by the police and security services on both the incident at Glasgow airport and the two suspected car bombs in London.
Speaking after the Cobra meeting, Mr Brown delivered the following statement:
"Let me first of all thank the police, the security services and all the emergency services for the dedicated professionalism that has been shown in responding to the incidents yesterday in London and now today the attack on Glasgow Airport.
"The first duty of the Government is the security and safety of all the British people, so it is right to raise the level of security at airports and in crowded places in the light of the heightened threat.
"I want all British people to be vigilant and I want them to support the police and all the authorities in the difficult decisions that they have to make.
"I know that the British people will stand together, united, resolute and strong."
Eyewitnesses at the airport have told reporters of a blazing Jeep being driven at high speed at the main terminal building. Strathclyde Police said two people had been arrested and detained in connection with the incident.
Following the incident, the security services have raised the current threat level to "critical". This means that an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK.
Speaking earlier, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"We were updated on the police operation and the Prime Minister took the opportunity to thank the police and the security services for all their hard work over the last 48 hours.
"The Prime Minister stressed that all parts of Government have got to work together to combat the terror threat. I am satisfied that across Government and with the police and agencies, we are doing all we can to protect the public. The police are clear that the most important contribution that the public can make is to carry on reporting anything suspicious and to be vigilant, and I would ask them to do that.
"But I must stress that we mustn’t let the threat of terror stop us from getting on with our lives."
Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has activated emergency procedures.
Earlier in the day, Cobra met to discuss the London car bomb attempts when two car bombs were discovered in central London on Friday. Speaking after those incidents, Gordon Brown said that the country faces a "serious and continuous" threat from terrorism.
Police are appealing for anybody who saw the vehicle crash into Glasgow Airport, or anyone who saw a blue Mercedes on Cockspur Street in London late Thursday and early Friday, to call the confidential anti-terrorist hotline number: 0800 789 321.