London bombs: SA cops to help
2005-07-13 11:33
Johannesburg - South African police said on Wednesday they were ready to help Britain track down those responsible for the London bombings following reports here that a South African woman's home in Leeds was searched in the probe.
"The South African Police Service will provide any assistance required in order to ensure that those responsible for the murderous acts in the UK on 7th July are identified and arrested," said police spokesperson Sally de Beer.
"The SAPS is in contact with other law enforcement agencies and will render the necessary support, including any assistance necessary in terms of identification of victims," she added in a statement.
At least 52 people were killed and some 700 injured in the coordinated bomb attacks during the Thursday morning rush hour on London's underground train network and a double-decker bus.
The Star reported that British police had searched the home of a South African woman who had been living in the Leeds area for more than 20 years, searching for information on her son or son-in-law.
Some 500 to 600 people were evacuated from their homes in Leeds on Tuesday as part of an operation led by London's Metropolitan Police to find those responsible for the London bombings, police inspector Miles Himsworth told AFP.
British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said Wednesday in Brussels that the bombers behind the attacks could be "working within a wider community."
"The police work ... is obviously focusing on trying to answer for themselves the question," he said.