7th July assistance - Assistance is available for everyone affected by the London bombings

Statement by DAC Peter Clarke, head of the MPS Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard 5 April 2007

The investigation into the terrorist attacks in London on 7th July 2005 has reached a new stage. But it is far from complete.

Today we have reached the stage where the Crown Prosecution Service have authorised charges against three individuals who have been in custody since 22nd March. After my opening remarks, Miss Hemming, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, will give details of the charges.

We have reached this stage after some 21 months of intense investigation by the Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police.

Following the murder of 52 innocent victims, we launched an investigation that was designed to uncover every possible piece of detail, every clue and lead, however minute. Our aim was quite simple - to find out not only who was responsible for setting off the bombs, but also who else was involved. As I said in July 2005, we needed to find out who else knew what was going to happen on 7th July. Who encouraged the bombers? Who supported them? Who helped them?

In looking for the answers to those questions we have gone where the evidence has taken us. Following every lead until it is exhausted. It is impossible in a few words to convey the scale of the task we set ourselves. But if I tell you that we have taken more than 15,000 statements and followed some 19,000 leads, that might give you some idea. Over 21 months the relentless search for every tiny detail gave us a wealth of information about the background to the attacks in July 2005. When two of the men who have been charged today tried to leave the country on 22nd March, our judgement was that the time was right to arrest them.

I appreciate that bringing these charges will have an impact on many people. For some it will bring back awful memories of that terrible day. For others there may be some relief that after such a length of time there is some visible progress in an investigation that, I hope for obvious reasons, has had to be conducted in secret.

We will of course share as much information as we can with the bereaved, the 966 people who suffered injuries, and the wider public. I understand the need for people to have as much information as possible. Of course, now that legal proceedings are underway, I am strictly limited as to what I can say. The public will no doubt find this frustrating, as do I. I only wish that I could share with you the extent of what we have discovered - but I cannot. That must wait for the trial of those who have been charged, or any others who may be charged in the future.

So the detail of the evidence must wait, but it is probably fair to describe it as a complicated jigsaw with thousands of pieces. We now have enough of the pieces in the right place for us to be able to see the picture, but it is far from complete.

Because of that, the search is not over. I firmly believe that there are other people who have knowledge of what lay behind the attacks in July 2005 - knowledge that they have not shared with us. In fact, I don't only believe it. I know it for a fact. For that reason the investigation continues.

I have a simple appeal to make today. It is for those people who have information and who have not yet spoken to us, mainly in the West Yorkshire area, to come forward.

I do understand that some of you will have real concerns about the consequences of telling us what you know. I also know that some of you have been actively dissuaded from speaking to us. Surely this must stop. The victims of the attacks, and those who will become victims of terrorism in the future deserve your co-operation and support.

We still need information about the four men who set the bombs off. Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shezad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Jermaine Lindsay. There are still some gaps in our knowledge of what they were doing in the weeks and months leading up to the attacks. The same goes for the three men who have been charged today - and I shall remind you of who they are:

Mohammed Shakil, age 30 from Beeston, West Yorkshire

Sadeer Saleem, age 26 from Beeston, West Yorkshire

Waheed Ali, age 23, recently living in Tower Hamlets, East London, but for most of his life has lived in Beeston, West Yorkshire. Until recently Ali was known as Shipon Ullah.

We need to know more about their movements, meetings and travel. Who did they meet? Where did they go? But as well as this, who else knew about what was happening? We will find out, it is only a matter of time. It is highly likely that in due course there will be further arrests.

If you have any information, now is the time to give it. You can either speak directly to your local police, or you can ring the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline. The number is .

Wording of charge: On Thursday 5th April Waheed ALI, Sadeer SALEEM and Mohammed SHAKIL were charged:

between 1st November 2004 and 29th June 2005 unlawfully and maliciously conspired with Mohammed Siddique KHAN, Shezhad TANWEER, Jermaine LINDSAY, Hasib HUSSEIN and others to cause by explosive substance on the Transport for London system and/or tourist attractions in London of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

Contrary to section 3(1)(a) of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

A warrant for further detention relating to the three men arrested on the 22.3.07 in connection with the terrorist attacks in London on July 7 2005 has been granted. They remain in custody at a central London police station

Statement issued on Friday, March 23 2007

Searches are ongoing in relation to a flat in East London.

Statement issued on Thursday, March 22 2007

Three men were arrested this afternoon (Thursday 22/3/07) in connection with the terrorist attacks in London on July 7 2005 by officers from the MPS Counter Terrorism Command.

Two men, aged 23, and 30, were arrested shortly before 1pm at Manchester Airport when they were due to catch a flight to Pakistan.

A third man, aged 26, was arrested at a house in Leeds shortly after 4pm.

The three men were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000.

They were taken to a central London police station where they will be kept in custody and will be interviewed by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

Searches are being carried out at five houses in the Leeds area.

Searches are also being carried out at a flat and a separate business premises in east London.

This was a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation involving the MPS Counter Terrorism Command and the West Yorkshire Police Counter Terrorism Unit.

Armed officers were not used in this operation.

Since July 7 2005 - when 52 people were murdered - detectives have continued to pursue many lines of inquiry both here in the UK and overseas.

This remains a painstaking investigation with a substantial amount of information being analysed and investigated.

As we have said previously, we are determined to follow the evidence wherever it takes us to identify any other person who may have been involved, in any way, in the terrorist attacks.

We need to know who else, apart from the bombers, knew what they were planning. Did anyone encourage them? Did anyone help them with money, or accommodation?

The MPS remains committed to discovering all we can about the events leading up to the July 7 attacks.

We are not prepared to discuss details of the men arrested and we are not prepared to speculate as to who may or may not be charged but is normal practice during any counter terrorist operation we continue to liaise closely with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Later this evening the search at the business premises in east London was completed.

Metropolitan Police Service