Anti-terrorist squad is boosted amid concern over suicide attacks

The size of Britain's anti-terrorist squad is to be doubled amid growing concern that London may be a target for al-Qa'ida suicide bombers.

An extra 830 anti-terrorist officers are to be deployed throughout the country, Assistant Commissioner David Veness, the head of specialist operations at the Metropolitan Police, disclosed yesterday.

The huge expansion of the police's anti-terrorism capability comes as Scotland Yard is developing a hi-tech bomb detector to help officers identify terrorists who pack their bodies with explosives and shrapnel.

New measures to combat suicide attacks in large crowds have already been introduced and were in force during the Queen's jubilee celebrations in central London, Mr Veness disclosed.

The extra officers, 680 of which will be hired to double the Met's anti-terrorist branch, and swell the ranks of the force's Special Branch and riot squad, are being recruited in response to the increased threat since the al-Qa'ida attacks on America.

An additional 150 anti-terrorist officers are also being recruited to work in regional offices staffed by Special Branch detectives from forces outside London.

The cost of the hundreds of specially trained detectives will come from £87m of money for anti-terrorism measures recently announced by the Home Office.

Mr Veness, speaking at a discussion on international strategies to combat global terrorism at a conference in London, said the extra officers were needed because of what he called a "new threshold of terrorism".

He said the new threats included suicide bombers, terrorists setting off simultaneous attacks aimed at creating mass casualties, and the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The head of the country's anti-terrorist operations disclosed that the Met, along with other forces, had asked scientists to help develop a hand-held detector capable of identifying suicide bombers carrying shrapnel, such as nails and bolts, in a crowd.

He said: "If you look at the devices used in suicide attacks in Israel they have a very high metal content, from the mass of shrapnel, so we are looking at ways of detecting that [and] are going beyond current metal detector systems."

The detector is for use in large crowds at public demonstrations rather than preventing attacks in restaurants and bars which have been targets in Israel. The Met has been to Israel and Sri Lanka to learn how to combat suicide bombers, which is a common means of terror attack in those countries.

Mr Veness said techniques used during the jubilee celebrations and the Queen Mother's funeral included physical measures to prevent the placing car bombs such as blocking off streets and banning parking on certain routes.

"If the major danger is larger bombs for example driving a truck or car – you seek to reduce the impact by keeping the large device away. But you still have the problem of an individual with an article concealed under their clothing – a suicide waist coat," he said.

The police have also been looking for any suspicious-looking people in the crowds, and have maintained a 200- yard safety zone between dignitaries and the public.

Mr Veness said the three most obvious targets for terrorist supporters of the al-Qa'ida network were America, Israel and the United Kingdom. He said: "Inevitably a suicide attack will occur in Western Europe."

"If you are looking at a UK target, London has to be top of the list," he added.

But he stressed there was no indication of a specific terrorist attack against Britain.