UK favours tough measures after London bombs-poll

Reuters | July 12 2005

An overwhelming majority of Britons would support tough new measures to reduce the threat of attacks after last week's deadly London bomb blasts, a poll by The Times newspaper showed on Tuesday. Some 86 percent of those questioned said they supported giving the police new powers to arrest people they suspect of planning attacks and 88 percent said they were in favour of tighter controls on who comes into the country..

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Only 21 percent said they would change any plans or normal routines for travel into central London after bombs killed at least 52 people on three underground trains and a double-decker bus in the city last Thursday. Police suspect the bombs were planted by Islamist militants.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday he may speed up the implementation of new anti-terror laws in the wake of the London bombings