Britons warned over Kenya threat

7 January 2012 Last updated at 14:54 ET

The Kenyan authorities have increased security in the city of Nairobi

The British government has warned UK tourists in Kenya to take extra care, amid fears that a terrorist attack in Nairobi is imminent.

The Foreign Office said it believed terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks and strongly advised Britons to be "vigilant".

The BBC understands several people, including one Briton, were arrested after a plot was disrupted in December.

Kenyan authorities also want to speak to other Britons, the FCO said.

The BBC's world affairs correspondent Caroline Hawley said the Foreign Office's updated travel advice followed a warning, two days ago, from Kenyan police that al-Shabab militants in Somalia had teamed up with al-Qaeda to plan attacks.

'Indiscriminate'

In an update to its travel advice on Saturday, the Foreign Office said: "The Kenyan authorities have alerted the public to a heightened threat from terrorist attacks in Nairobi.

"We believe that terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks. Attacks could be indiscriminate and target Kenyan institutions as well as places where expatriates and foreign travellers gather, such as hotels, shopping centres and beaches.

"We strongly advise British nationals to exercise extra vigilance and caution in public places and at public events."

Col Cyrus Oguna, a Kenyan military spokesman, told news agency Associated Press that Kenyan authorities had thwarted attempted attacks by al-Shabab over Christmas and the New Year.

He said Kenyan troops in Somalia had made pre-emptive strikes on different targets in Somalia.

The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said al-Shabab was "a force to be reckoned with".

He said UK government officials have said "a serious and credible terrorist plot" was disrupted in Kenya, adding that the targets were most likely to have been Western.

Several people were arrested, including the British national, he said.

Increased security

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "British counter-terrorism authorities are working closely with Kenyan authorities on the case of a British national arrested on 19 December in Mombasa.

"A team from the UK's Met Police CT [counter-terrorism] team SO15 deployed to Kenya in late December to assist the Kenyan authorities with their investigation. They have now returned."

He added: "We are aware the Kenyan authorities are interested in speaking to British nationals in relation to possible links to al-Shabab."

The Kenyan authorities have increased security in Nairobi.

In 1998, 200 people died in an attack on the US embassy in Nairobi, and in 2002, there was an attack on a hotel used by Israeli tourists in Mombasa.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October after a string of kidnappings and cross-border attacks which had threatened Kenya's tourism industry.

Continue Reading... Labels: Britons, Kenya, threat, warned

Police warned over links to press

4 January 2012 Last updated at 12:31 ET

Elizabeth Filkin warned against ''the close relationship" between Met police and journalists

The "close relationship" between parts of Scotland Yard and the media has caused "serious harm", a report says.

The report by Elizabeth Filkin says information had previously been given "inappropriately".

This had "compromised" the way police and the media scrutinised each other's activities, it added.

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Bernard Hogan-Howe said new rules for officers about relationships with journalists would be implemented.

But former Daily Mirror crime reporter Jeff Edwards said the inquiry appeared to "have taken a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

'Watch out'

Ms Filkin, the former parliamentary commissioner for standards, calls for a new approach based on "more extensive, open and impartial" provision of information to the public.

Her report tells officers to "watch out" for "late-night carousing, long sessions, yet another bottle of wine at lunch - these are all long-standing media tactics to get you to spill the beans. Avoid."

It added: "Mixing the media with alcohol is not banned but should be an uncommon event," her report said, adding that drinking with officers "may be seen as inappropriate hospitality".

Officers will be urged to keep a note of any conversation they have with journalists, the report said.

Ms Filkin, also advises police to "watch out" for reporters "flirting" which she said is designed to get officers to drop their defences.

She said there were "some very serious issues" relating to contact between journalists and police which had "eroded trust from the public".

Speaking at the launch of the report, Mr Hogan-Howe said: "There should be no more secret conversations. There should be no more improper contact and by that what I mean is between the police and the media - that which is of a selfish, rather than a public interest."

"Meetings will no longer be enhanced by hospitality and alcohol. It doesn't mean to say there will never be an occasion when we take hospitality with journalists, but on the whole, we wouldn't expect to see it."

'Greater openness'

The Filkin Report was ordered by police and Home Secretary Theresa May after a phone-hacking scandal surrounding the News of the World uncovered evidence suggesting improper ties between officers and the media. Dame Elizabeth was asked to investigate following allegations that reporters paid officers for information.

The previous Met Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, quit the Met in July amid the phone-hacking scandal.

He was criticised for his links to former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis, who was arrested in July 2011 on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. Mr Wallis had also been working as a public relations consultant for Champneys spa when Sir Paul recuperated there, although the Met said Sir Paul had been unaware of this. A subsequent inquiry cleared Sir Paul of all wrongdoing.

The Filkin Report only refers to the Met but last year the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) published guidance for all police forces in England and Wales.

It recommended senior police officers:

• Ensure a record is made of any interviews with the media
• Record all meetings with journalists, including purpose, time, and place
• Should be accompanied by press officers
• Should record any hospitality received from the media

In her report Ms Filkin added: "I recommend greater openness in providing information to the public, much of which will be through the media.

"The two new roles which I suggest - public information and integrity champions - will drive the change, making media contact permissible but not unconditional. Unequivocal and sustained leadership must be given."

Among other key recommendations were that "confidential briefings should be the exception" and "all contact should be available for audit".

Ms Filkin also highlighted criticism of senior officers, saying the Met "has not communicated effectively enough with Londoners".

She added: "I am concerned by the extent to which police officers and staff feel that some of their senior leaders abide by a different set of rules.

"There has been wide variation in how the senior team interpreted policy on dealing with the media and receiving gifts and hospitality.

"There has been no clear standard set by the senior team for police officers and staff to use as a guide for their own behaviour and in some instances the standards set have been poor and have led to consequent damage."

Mr Edwards, who is also president of the Crime Reporters Association, said police officers need not be "chaperoned" and he added: "I would like to correct the view that all unauthorised contact is bad.

"I can think of at least five major criminal investigations where, as a tabloid reporter, I came across information and passed it on to a senior police officer.

"One was an enormous criminal conspiracy and I met an officer and, yes we shared a beer, but he acted and headed off a very serious criminal conspiracy."

Mr Edwards, who is now an associate lecturer at the National Police Leadership College, said: "I resent the implied suggestion that all unauthorised contact between police and media is automatically unethical, elicit, shady or corrupt."

Continue Reading... Labels: links, police, press, warned

150 officers warned over Facebook

30 December 2011 Last updated at 07:07 ET

Seven officers resigned following complaints about Facebook posts between 2008 and 2010

One police officer was sacked and more than 150 faced disciplinary action over their behaviour on Facebook in a three-year period, figures have shown.

Some used the social networking site to harass ex-partners and ex-colleagues or make comments about officers' wives.

Others suggested they had beaten up members of the public during protests.

The figures, from 41 of the 43 forces in England and Wales, were obtained by the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

Racist comment

Officers were also said to have revealed operations, tried to befriend crime victims or posted inappropriate material.

One officer serving with the Hampshire force was dismissed without notice in 2009 for posting a racist comment on Facebook, the force said. No further details were made available.

The figures cover between 2008 and 2010, but a second officer was sacked earlier this year for referring to another officer as a "grass" and a "liar" on Facebook and harassing a female colleague. No further details on 2011's complaints are available.

As well as those sacked or disciplined, seven officers resigned following complaints. They were two special constables from the Dorset force, and one officer from each of Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Essex, North Wales and South Yorkshire.

Between 2008 and 2010, a total of 187 complaints were made against officers over their use of Facebook, with nine officers given final written warnings, 47 given written warnings, one given a formal warning and another fined.

Additionally, 88 were subject to management action, received guidance or words of advice, while 32 complaints were either withdrawn, found to be unsubstantiated or led to no further action.

One disciplinary outcome in Leicestershire, following comments made on Facebook, was withheld by the force.

Roger Baker, who led a review into police corruption for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), said: "Social networking is seen as a risk by all forces and authorities, but there are limited or inconsistent policies around what is acceptable, what you should do, what you shouldn't do.

"We found a significant blurring between people's professional lives on social networking sites and their private lives which may be in the public domain and private lives which probably should remain extremely private."

Chief Constable Mike Cunningham, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said while officers have a right to privacy, they should be "aware of the risk they are subject to when they identify themselves as being a member of the service".

Continue Reading... Labels: Facebook, officers, warned