BRITISH police have defended their decision not to close sections of the M6 and M69 motorways linking Birmingham, Leicester and Coventry, following a security alert yesterday, insisting safety had not been compromised.
A bomb warning using an unrecognised codeword was made to a local business in the West Midlands area just before 7 a.m., but Warwickshire's Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Peter Furnace, explained his decision had been taken after a careful review of the security risk to the public.
"All the circumstances were fully assessed and the decision was made with the public's safety as a paramount concern," he said.
While the alert continued for several hours during the morning, rush hour traffic continued along the M6 and M69, and drivers were apparently unaware of the low profile security operation going on around them. Police and army bomb disposal officers searched electricity pylons and bridges along a 10 mile section of the M69 which links Leicester and Coventry and on the M6 outside Birmingham.
Although no devices were found during a five hour search police revealed that because of the "very confused and generalised" nature of the bomb warning an extensive area around the motorways had to be searched.
The electricity pylons and bridges dolled along Britain's motorways, known to the police as "vulnerable points", have been exploited by the IBA in the run up to today's general election in a highly organised campaign of bomb explosions and warnings. And as a result of guidelines issued to polling stations returning officers will be on high alert today in anticipation of any attempt by the IBA to disrupt voting.