British police say immigration centre attack motivated by terrorist ideology
- Counter terrorism officers say they have evidence suspect, found dead after October 30 attack, inspired by extreme right-wing ideology
- Meanwhile, reports emerged of a disturbance at a London immigration centre; UK is struggling to cope with so many migrants
British police said evidence showed that an attack in Dover on October 30, when petrol bombs were thrown at an immigration centre, was motivated by a terrorist ideology, specifically “an extreme right-wing” ideology.
“I am satisfied that the suspect’s actions were primarily driven by an extremist ideology. This meets the threshold for a terrorist incident,” said Tim Jacques, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing in a statement on Saturday.
The police statement came the same day the PA news agency reported that detainees “armed with weaponry” caused a disturbance at a London immigration centre, as Britain struggles to cope with thousands of recently arrived migrants.
The UK government has been on the defensive this week after reports said some 4,000 people were being held at the Manston reception facility near Dover on the south coast, a centre meant to hold just 1,600. Firebombs were thrown last Sunday at the facility by a man who was later found dead. No one was hurt in the attack.
It was not immediately clear exactly when the reported disturbance in London, at Harmondsworth detention centre near Heathrow Airport, took place. The Home Office said no one was injured in the incident during a power outage.
“There has been a power outage at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, and work is currently under way to resolve this issue,” it said in a statement.
