LONDON, Nov 5 (Portal) – British police said on Saturday evidence showed far-right terrorist ideology motivated a petrol bomb attack on an immigration center in the southern English port city of Dover on October 30.
No one was seriously injured in the incident and police said 66-year-old Andrew Leak – who was found dead at a nearby petrol station shortly after the attack – appeared to have acted alone.
“There is currently nothing to indicate the perpetrator worked with anyone else and it is not believed that there is a major threat to the public,” the police said in a statement.
Dover Immigration Services is the first port of call for thousands of people making the perilous journey across the English Channel to seek asylum in Britain.
Evidence from digital media devices suggested Leak was motivated by far-right ideology, although there was also strong evidence Leak’s mental health was a factor in the attack, police said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
“I am convinced that the suspect’s actions were primarily driven by an extremist ideology. This meets the threshold for a terrorist incident,” said Tim Jacques, senior national counter-terrorism coordinator.
Immigration is a heated political issue in Britain.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK is a compassionate and welcoming place for asylum seekers, but that depends on the country’s ability to effectively police its borders.
Sunak’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman has faced criticism for describing the arrival of asylum seekers as an invasion.
Reporting by Sarah Young; Adaptation by Toby Chopra and Helen Popper
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