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New anti-terror jail to replace Paddington Green station

This article is more than 16 years old

A new maximum security police station to hold up to 30 terrorism suspects "for protracted periods" is being planned to replace the 1960s Paddington Green police station in London.

Tony McNulty, the counter-terrorism minister, told MPs and peers yesterday it was now "well accepted" that the office block-style Paddington Green, which has held the most high-profile terrorist suspects from across England and Wales for more than 35 years, has had its day.

He acknowledged the fate of Paddington Green as he told parliament that the government intends to introduce as counter-terrorism bill, allowing terror suspects to be held more than 28 days without charge, before Christmas.

He also said the legislation would allow high court judges to authorise continued detention of terror suspects without charge by video link without the suspects being present in the court.

Ministers justify the move on the grounds that it "removes the disruption to London traffic" caused by security convoys moving suspects around the capital.

The 16 high-security cells in the basement of Paddington Green most recently held the suspects in the failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow earlier this year.

A report from parliament's joint human rights committee criticised the facilities at the station as "plainly inadequate".

It said the cells were overcrowded, the station lacked any dedicated facilities for forensic examination of suspects on their arrival, and exercise had to take place in the car park which had to be cleared first. Video-conferenced judicial hearings have to take place in the entrance lobby. Whenever it is used by the anti-terrorism squad the normal work of the police station is severely disrupted.

Earlier this year Lord Carlile, the official reviewer of the government's terrorism laws, said it was clear the Metropolitan police need a new custody suite suitable for up to 30 terrorism suspects.

The Home Office said the Met had begun building custody blocks to process prisoners. "It is possible that facilities for handling terror suspects could be incorporated into the design and build of one of these facilities," it said. "Equally, opportunities to replace Paddington Green ... may provide an opportunity to improve and increase the Met's capacity to process terrorist suspects."

Terror suspects held at Paddington Green are currently moved to Belmarsh prison, south-east London, after 14 days but the Home Office said the new facility may hold suspects for "protracted periods". Mr McNulty said the plan to extend the detention without charge of terror suspects beyond 28 days would only apply in exceptional circumstances such as a case involving multiple plots or multiple overseas aspects to the investigation.

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