‘Watch for Xmas bombs' say police

By Gillian Drummond

Hotels and restaurants are being urged to be on their guard as fears mount that the IRA could be planning a bombing campaign in the run-up to Christmas.

Officers from the Anti-Terrorist Branch of the Metropolitan Police are targeting hoteliers as part of a major anti-terrorist drive launched last week. As well as asking hotel staff to be on the lookout for suspicious packages, the police are requesting they look out for possible terrorist suspects.

Sergeant Gus Kennedy of the counter-terrorism section at the Metropolitan Police told Caterer: "[Terrorists] have to have somewhere to store their equipment, and they have to have accommodation. We want anyone, no matter where they are, to look at people who are using their facilities.

"Are they paying in cash? Are they paying the full rate when they could be asking for a discount? Are they paying and not occupying immediately? Do they take up a long-term lease?"

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that hoteliers should take steps to ensure the identities of guests. "They should be asking for proof of identification from two sources - driving licence, passport or credit card. They should also be getting people to pay through financial institutions rather than by cash," she said.

A number of businesses in London are already gearing themselves up for the possibility of increased terrorist activity. The Mount Royal Hotel, off Oxford Street, has added an extra member to its security staff, bringing it up to four. It has also installed two more security cameras in its first-floor lobby area.

Operations director Ronald Kingston said: "We have taken on an extra security person, mainly to cover peak times when there are so many more people about."

London restaurant Mezzo also stepped up its security patrols last week.

"On busy nights, we normally had one or two security men on the floors monitoring crowd safety and looking out for packages. We've stepped that up to three because there is more traffic," said Simon Wright, assistant general manager.

Mezzo also has two doormen and a member of staff back of house monitoring security cameras 24 hours a day.

The Metropolitan Police is also encouraging people to come forward with any information they have on terrorist suspects. A confidential telephone hotline has been set up on 0800 789321.