3.6.06
eyewitness report
I went to have a look at Lansdown Road, where the police shot a terrorism suspect yesterday, as it is about five streets away from my house. They are still searching the suspect's house, supposedly for a chemical weapon.
Lansdown Rd, as well as the next street along, Rothsay Road, have police tape across them. A few other streets which give access to the end of Lansdown Rd are also sealed off near there. No-one is allowed in unless they live there, in which case the police ask you where you live, and escort you to your house. There were quite a few police officers, for some reason most of them women, standing around behind the tape at either end of Rothsay Road, also a couple of police vans. Lots of kids who must have lived there were playing in the street or hanging around with the police officers. Whether this is because there was no traffic, or they couldn't leave the street and get back in easily, or what, I don't know. This the street adjacent to Lansdown on the same side as no. 46, the house that was raided.
At the intersection of Lansdown and Katherine Road, there were lots more police. A TV satellite van was parked on Katherine, with a camera on an extended mast pointing down the street over the buildings. There were quite a few people around with cameras, or who from their appearance, were patently journalists rather than locals. Quite a few locals just hanging around, most of them watching someone from the TV do a piece to camera. The house itself has a large tent-like structure covered in white plastic sealing over its whole front. There were at least 6 police vans parked near the end of the street behind the tape, and more down the street. Lots of police officers were standing behind the tape, and lots more could be seen. These included quite a few in a type of uniform I've never seen before: all black, with a black jumpsuit pulled down to the waist over a black t-shirt, and a peaked cap, giving the impression of some kind of elite police/SAS hybrid. All of these guys were to be seen in the background quite far beyond the police line. There didn't seem to be much activity around the area of the house.
At the other end of the street it was the same story. The street and adjoining ends of the next streets were sealed off. There were lots of normal police officers manning the barrier, with many more behind in vans having their tea or whatever, and lots of strange black-jumpsuited officers.
It seems now from the fact that they haven't found any evidence of terrorism, and from the things about 'credible intelligence' that they keep repeating that they realised these are either the wrong guys or they weren't caught in the act of anything, but what do I know..
Lansdown Rd, as well as the next street along, Rothsay Road, have police tape across them. A few other streets which give access to the end of Lansdown Rd are also sealed off near there. No-one is allowed in unless they live there, in which case the police ask you where you live, and escort you to your house. There were quite a few police officers, for some reason most of them women, standing around behind the tape at either end of Rothsay Road, also a couple of police vans. Lots of kids who must have lived there were playing in the street or hanging around with the police officers. Whether this is because there was no traffic, or they couldn't leave the street and get back in easily, or what, I don't know. This the street adjacent to Lansdown on the same side as no. 46, the house that was raided.
At the intersection of Lansdown and Katherine Road, there were lots more police. A TV satellite van was parked on Katherine, with a camera on an extended mast pointing down the street over the buildings. There were quite a few people around with cameras, or who from their appearance, were patently journalists rather than locals. Quite a few locals just hanging around, most of them watching someone from the TV do a piece to camera. The house itself has a large tent-like structure covered in white plastic sealing over its whole front. There were at least 6 police vans parked near the end of the street behind the tape, and more down the street. Lots of police officers were standing behind the tape, and lots more could be seen. These included quite a few in a type of uniform I've never seen before: all black, with a black jumpsuit pulled down to the waist over a black t-shirt, and a peaked cap, giving the impression of some kind of elite police/SAS hybrid. All of these guys were to be seen in the background quite far beyond the police line. There didn't seem to be much activity around the area of the house.
At the other end of the street it was the same story. The street and adjoining ends of the next streets were sealed off. There were lots of normal police officers manning the barrier, with many more behind in vans having their tea or whatever, and lots of strange black-jumpsuited officers.
It seems now from the fact that they haven't found any evidence of terrorism, and from the things about 'credible intelligence' that they keep repeating that they realised these are either the wrong guys or they weren't caught in the act of anything, but what do I know..
# posted by weierstrass @ 23:56 
