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United Kingdom Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, has said that installing metal-detector scanners at train stations would “make life impossible” for passengers, adding that a review into security following a mass stabbing on a high-speed train would consider all other options. She also confirmed that a train staff member who intervened to protect passengers as the service approached Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire remains critically ill but in a stable condition. A member of train staff who tried to protect passengers during the attack near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire remains critically ill but stable, Alexander confirmed. She said there was no indication of a terrorist motive and declined to comment on the mental health of the 32-year-old suspect, who was reported to have spoken about the devil during his arrest. One witness said the suspect asked police to kill him. Alexander said more British Transport Police officers would be visible at train hubs in the coming days to reassure passengers. However, she dismissed the idea of installing scanners or metal arches at railway stations. “I don’t think airport-style scanners would be the way to go,” Alexander told Sky News. “We have thousands of railway stations across the UK, and those stations have multiple entrances, multiple platforms. What we can’t do is make life impossible for everyone, but we do need to take sensible and proportionate steps to make the public transport network safe.” She said the security review might propose other practical solutions, pointing to the 2017 London Bridge attack, after which vehicle barriers were added to some bridges in London. Speaking to Times Radio, Alexander said that despite the “horrific” attack, public transport remained a low-crime space. “Our trains are some of the safest forms of public transport anywhere in the world. For every 1 million passenger journeys that are made, there are 27 crimes,” she said. The 32-year-old British national from Peterborough is being questioned after 10 people were injured on the 6.25pm Peterborough–London train on Saturday. Alexander added that the suspect “was not known to counter-terrorism police, he was not known to the security services, and he was not known to the Prevent programme”. Asked whether the man had prior contact with mental health services, she said: “I’m not in a position to share any more information about the individual, I’m afraid.” Speaking later to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Alexander said there was still no sign of a terrorism link. “For a terrorist incident to be declared, there would need to be evidence of someone pursuing this violence for an ideological or political aim.” She acknowledged that questions would need to be answered in time, but said she would not speculate on the suspect’s mental health. “I don’t have any medical information that I can share about the suspect, and I’m not going to get drawn on this, to be honest, because the issue of mental health and criminal responsibility is a complex one.” British Transport Police confirmed that CCTV captured a member of LNER staff attempting to stop the attacker as the train travelled between Peterborough and Huntingdon. Alexander praised the bravery of the staff and emergency workers who responded. “Most of all, I would like to say thank you to the emergency services and the one individual who is still critically ill in hospital, who is stable, I’m pleased to say. But he went into work that morning to serve passengers, and he put himself in harm’s way. There are people who are alive today because of his actions and his bravery.” (The Guardian UK) ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
