As details of this morning’s bomb blasts in Brussels continue to come through, David Cameron has tweeted to say he will chair a meeting of the government’s COBRA committee this morning.
Reports are now suggesting that at least 13 people have lost their lives in the blasts at Brussels airport and a further ten have been killed in a separate blast at the Maalbeek metro station, with at least 35 people injured.
The Prime Minister had earlier tweeted expressing his shock and concern over the events unfolding in Brussels:
The UK Foreign Office has now released a statement advising all citizens in Belgium to ‘stay where they are and to avoid crowded areas’, and both Heathrow and Gatwick airports have also stepped up security.
An Gatwick airport spokesman said that passenger and staff safety was the ‘absolute priority’.
Eurostar also announced they would not be running services to Brussels:
British counter terrorism officials are watching events in Brussels as the government’s emergency committee prepares to meet, reports the Guardian.
They report:
The United Kingdom threat level remains at severe, the second highest level. It means security officials assess an attack on the UK is highly likely.
The UK threat level assessment is made by the joint terrorism assessment centre, which sits within MI5.
How the terrorists carried out their attacks and tactics, especially any change in tactics , will be of interest to security officials across parts of the world facing a terrorist threat.
The UK’s foreign secretary Phillip Hammond has now also given a statement on this morning’s attacks:
This is an ongoing incident, we’re in contact with the Belgian authorities and we will obviously give them every assistance that we can.
Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the attacks.
