Searches are being carried out in central London this evening after a man with suspected links to al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a transatlantic plane, Scotland Yard said today.
Security has been stepped up at UK airports for passengers flying to the US the Department for Transport said.
The Nigerian suspect allegedly tried to detonate a powdery substance on a flight from Amsterdam as it prepared to land at Detroit with 278 people on board.
US law enforcement officials identified the suspect as a 23-year-old student who is reportedly studying engineering at University College London.
A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: “We are in liaison with the US authorities.
“Searches are being carried out at addresses in central London.”
She refused to give further details. It is understood from security sources that police and MI5 will want to see “as a matter of priority” the significance of any time that he spent in the UK.
It is also understood that extra staff and resources have been assigned to the investigation as a matter of urgency.
One of the key priorities will be to check whether he has cropped up in the course of any other investigations.