Scanners to be used at U.K. rail stations
If metal detectors and explosive scanners are good enough for airports, they should also be useful in protecting ground transportation, say U.K. railroad authorities
U.K. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said trials in London of metal detectors to detect weapons such as knives had been “extremely successful.” He told the BBC that the technology would be employed at stations in other cities including Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Cardiff.
The trial at Tube and train stations in London, known as Operation Shield, has been running for two months. British Transport Police officers with stop-and-search powers and sniffer dogs use mobile airport-style scanners to check passengers. Since it began, almost 10,000 people have been scanned, 100 have been arrested, and 68 knives seized. The Conservative homeland security spokesman, Patrick Mercer, welcomed the move, but said detecting potential bombers should be a top priority. “We welcome any attempt to lessen crime on our transport system, but the fact remains that 53 people were killed in the London bombings last year and we currently have no equipment of any sort anywhere in England that can detect explosives,” he said.
