British police to get "dirty bomb" protection

LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) Thousands more British police will be issued with protective suits to wear in the event of a chemical, biological or radiological attack, the government said.

The 12,000 new suits would be worn at the scene of a ''dirty bomb'' attack, where explosives are used to spread radioactive material.

Britain's security services are on the second-highest level of alert for a terrorist attack. They say an attack is ''highly likely''.

A Home Office (interior ministry) spokesman yesterday said the decision to buy new equipment for the police was not linked to any specific threat.

''Technology is constantly advancing and as part of that process we are procuring 12,000 new suits,'' the spokesman said.

''It's just a desire to provide police with the right equipment.'' As the staunchest ally of the United States in its war on terror, Britain has long seen itself as a potential target.

Britain has stepped up security and arrested hundreds of suspects since the July 7, 2005 bombings on London's transport network when four suicide bombers killed 52 people.

Earlier this month, Home Secretary John Reid said the police were aware of as many as 30 terrorist plots against Britain.

The battle against terrorism would continue for ''longer than a generation'', he added.

The Home Office played down reports that the government is ''significantly increasing'' police training to cope with dirty bomb attacks.

The danger posed by attacks with radiation was brought into sharp focus by the death of Alexander Litvinenko in London in November.

The former Russian spy died after being poisoned by the rare radioactive isotope polonium 210.

Officials at Britain's Foreign Office told reporters last month there was ''no doubt at all'' that Al Qaeda was trying to gather nuclear material for an attack against Western targets.

British Muslim convert Dhiren Barot was jailed last month for 40 years for planning to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and carry out attacks in Britain using a dirty bomb.

Reuters AB GC0944