Peter Clarke, now retired, who ordered the surveillance operation that resulted in Jean Charles's death, was asked today about a "lock down" of all potential terrorist targets in the days after 7/7. It included Scotland Yard, the Houses of Parliament and even Buckingham Palace for an hour and a half on 12th July:
"It was completely unprecedented, as was some of the decision-making having to be made at that time about whether to warn the public about the possibility of a suicide bomber being on the loose or not. I remember those as being some of the most difficult decisions that one had ever confronted. If we warned the public, we could cause unnecessary panic. If we didn't and something terrible happened, the obvious question is: why didn't you warn the public?"
Clarke's teenage son had narrowly missed being caught in the 7/7 attack. Read the Guardian's full report.
