25th anniversary of Warrington bombing – police boss calls on citizens to report suspicious activity in fight against terror

Cheshire police and crime commissioner, David Keane, is encouraging residents of Cheshire to report suspicious activity and behaviour to help police tackle terrorism.

The call comes after comes as figures reveal 30,984 reports were made to counter-terror police in 2017 – with a fifth of calls yielding useful intelligence.

A national campaign has been launched today encouraging citizens to plays their part in tackling terrorism, it comes on the 25^th anniversary of the IRA terrorist bombing in Warrington

A special service will be held in Warrington this morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the IRA bomb attack which killed two children and injured many more.

Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball died when a bomb exploded on Bridge Street in the town.

Johnathan, three, was in the town with his babysitter to buy a card for Mother’s Day, the next day, when he was killed.

Tim, an Everton fan, had been shopping for football shorts when he caught the full force of the explosion. He died in his father’s arms five days later in Liverpool’s Walton Hospital.

No warning was given and no one has been prosecuted for the attack on March 20, 1993, that left 56 injured.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Warrington bombing – join us as we remember all those people affected – follow all events at @peacecentre #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/Y9Fenn7xrZ

— Peace Foundation (@peacecentre) March 20, 2018

 David Keane said;

“Sadly, 25 years on from the terrorist attack which claimed the lives of two innocent boys in Cheshire, terrorism is more of a threat than ever to people going about their everyday lives.

The public can help us defeat terrorism by reporting suspicious activity or behaviour which can give police intelligence to foil terrorist plots and help save lives.

Following last year’s unprecedented rise in terrorist activity, record numbers of people contacted the police via the online reporting form or confidential helpline to report their suspicions.”

Research carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing suggests that while more than 80 per cent of people are motivated to report suspicious activity or behaviour, many are unclear exactly what they should be looking for.

As part of the campaign launch, a new 60-second film based on real life foiled plots has been released.

It shows examples of terrorist-related activity, as well as attack planning methods.

“If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious, trust your instincts and report it”, added David.

It could be someone buying or storing chemicals, fertilisers or gas cylinders for no obvious reasons, or receiving deliveries for unusual items. It could be someone embracing extremist ideology, or searching for such material online.

Any piece of information, no matter how small, could make the difference between a lethal attack or a successful disruption.”

As well as reporting suspicious activity to Cheshire police via 999 or 101, Cheshire residents can also use the online reporting tool (gov.uk/ACT).

All reports can be made anonymously. This information is then used by UK Counter Terrorism Police and local forces in their investigations.

Main image: ©Daily Mail