UK’s border checks tightened following Paris attack

9^th January 2015

Clarissa Waldron

Clarissa Waldron

9 January 2015

Security checks at entry points into the UK have been tightened in the wake of two extremist attacks in Paris which left 13 people dead. 

The UK government has announced a visible increase in security presence at both British and French ports and French stations which serve UK destinations following the attack on Charlie Hebdo on Tuesday.

Checks at the Parisian station Gare du Nord have been tightened for people travelling by Eurostar. French ports, such as Calais, will also see an increase in passenger, vehicle and freight train checks. 

The British Transport Police said they had also heightened the number of armed patrols at the Eurostar terminal in London’s St Pancras station.

The prime minister’s spokesman said that there had been no change to the UK’s terrorism threat level, which remains at severe level, but the government had decided to take extra measures.

Sky News sources revealed that the boost in security was not a response to any specific intelligence, but rather an inevitable response to Wednesday’s events.

Home secretary, Theresa May, described the attacks as “cowardly” and said they were “a reminder of the very serious threat we face from terrorism”.

At present, no evidence exists to link the Parisian attacks or the suspects to Britain.

Two of the three suspects involved in the Charlie Hebdo shootings, in which 12 people were killed, are still on the run.

The gunman responsible for the death of a French policewoman is also still at large. French news channel RTL has revealed a link between the suspects of both shootings, believing them to belong to the same extremist group.

Clarissa Waldron