Liverpool hospital bomb news – Terrorist Emad Al Swealmeen struck after UK asylum bids were were repeatedly rejected

Asylum bids

Last night it emerged that Al-Swealmeen struck in Liverpool after his asylum bids were repeatedly turned down.

It remained unclear when exactly the bomber entered the UK but it was understood he had been in a long-term dispute with the Home Office over his application for UK residential status.

And he had not been granted leave to remain here permanently.

A source said: “One of the issues being looked at is whether this unresolved grievance pushed him over the edge and prompted him to carry out the attack.”

Covid lockdowns may have created heightened risk of ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks

Damian Hinds acknowledged that Covid restrictions had likely "exacerbated" the amount of online "self-radicalisation".

Mr Hinds said such people rarely work completely alone and reach out to others online for "advice" and "hints".

He said: "Self radicalisation on the Internet, the propaganda, the way that people make contact with one another, that is not a new development.

"But like a number of things the changes that we saw through the Coronavirus period, through lockdown, have changed the modus operandi.

"In this case they would have exacerbated, increased the amount of time that people are spending online."

Read more here.

Fundraiser set up for hero

Last night, a fundraiser for David had reached more than £20,000.

Jenny Phillips, who organised the collection for the driver and his family, said she had been told that David’s passenger had not spoken during the journey.

Well-wisher Paul Tucker donated £20. In a message to David, he said: “Your country salutes you and we’re all right behind you as you recover from your injuries and trauma.”

Pals say David's actions prevented other attacks

David Perry's pal has insisted that David's actions prevented the bomber getting into the hospital and causing mayhem and bloodshed.

The friend said: “David noticed the man had some kind of light attached to his clothing and was messing around with it. As soon as he did, it’s gone off. If this guy had got in the hospital, God knows what could have happened.

“David’s the luckiest man in Britain as well as the most heroic.”

Hero David Perry's wife Rachel speaks

“Selfless” David, who suffered blast injuries, discharged himself from hospital hours later to free up a bed and was yesterday recovering at home.

His wife, Rachel, said her husband was lucky to be alive following the deafening explosion only yards from the packed wards.

In an online post, she said: “I would just like to thank each and every one of you who have messaged asking how David is.

“He is doing OK but is extremely sore and just trying to process what’s happened.”

She added: “There are a lot of rumours flying around about him being a hero and locking the passenger inside the car, but the truth of the matter is, he is without doubt lucky to be alive.

“The explosion happened whilst he was in the car and how he managed to escape is an utter miracle.

“He certainly had some guardian angels looking over him.”

Hero cabbie pictured moments after Liverpool hospital explosion

CCTV filmed Delta Cabs driver David as he arrived outside reception area at the hospital, which is close to Liverpool Cathedral.

Seconds before he comes to a halt, the footage shows a huge blast from inside the car — with 40ft plumes of white smoke shooting into the sky.

All the windows are blown out and metal flies into the air, showering three nearby cars as it lands.

Seconds later David, who is wearing a black T-shirt and dark shorts, bolts from the driver’s seat and runs towards the back of his vehicle as a security guard dashes towards him.

The guard bear hugs David and the two men stumble backwards towards an ambulance.

Information wanted

Police have urge people with information to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Meeks, of the UK’s Counter Terrorism Police North West Unit, said: “Now that we have released his name, any information that the public may have about Al-Swealmeen, no matter how small, may be of great assistance to us.’’

Neighbour speaks about Liverpool bomber

Neighbour Golam Shawom, 31, said: “I saw him a couple of times coming from the house. The last was two or three months ago.

“I think he worked as a delivery driver. I never spoke to him. I just saw him on his bike.

“It seemed like a quiet house. There are many families living here and old people but I never saw anyone at his house.”

Everything we know so far...

• Police named the man killed in the taxi bomb as 32-year-old Emad Al-Swealmeen
• He also went by the name Enzo Almeni
• The terrorist was killed and taxi driver injured in a car bomb blast at Liverpool Women's Hospital on Sunday
• Hero cabbie Dave Perry locked the passenger in the taxi to prevent further disaster
• The horror is being treated as a terrorist incident but the motive is unclear
• Four people have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences
• The bomb was homemade and manufactured 'by the passenger in the taxi'
• Boris Johnson will chair an emergency Cobra meeting today as the terror threat is raised to the second highest level of 'severe'

Al-Swealmeen had changed his first name

It's been claimed that motor-racing enthusiast Emad Al-Swealmeen had changed his first name to Enzo in honour of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari — and to sound less Muslim in a bid to help his asylum ­application.

Mr Hitchcott, the man who opened up his home for Emad, explained last night: “The UK asylum people were never convinced he was Syrian and he was refused asylum in 2014.

“He had his case rejected because he has been sectioned due to some mental health incident where he was waving a knife at people from an overpass.”

'Unresolved grievance' pushed Liverpool bomber to the edge

It remained unclear when exactly the bomber entered the UK.

But it was understood he had been in a long-term dispute with the Home Office over his application for UK residential status.

And he had not been granted leave to remain here permanently.

A source said: “One of the issues being looked at is whether this unresolved grievance pushed him over the edge and prompted him to carry out the attack.”

Al-Swealmeen previously arrested

Mr Hitchcott and his wife opened up their home to Poppy Day bomber Emad Jamil Al-Swealmeen.

Mr Hitchcott said Al-Swealmeen had been arrested for possession of a "large knife" after his asylum claim was rejected in 2014, which led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and hospitalised for several months.

'We opened our home to Liverpool terrorist – we can’t believe he’d do this'

A CHRISTIAN couple who opened up their home to Poppy Day bomber Emad Jamil Al-Swealmeen have told of their disbelief after he launched his deadly hospital blast.

The bomber spent eight months living with devout Christians Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchcott at their home in Aigburth, Liverpool, after moving to the UK.

Last night the man who took him in said he felt "numbed" to learn that the "lovely man" who lived at his home for almost a year was behind the horror plot.

Mr Hitchocott, a former British Army soldier, told the : "It's almost too impossible to believe.

"There was nothing to suggest he could go on to become radicalised."

He and his wife also described their "shock" that the "very quiet fellow" would try to commit an act of terror, telling ITV News they lived "cheek by jowl" when he stayed with them at their home.

Mrs Hitchcott told the broadcaster: "What a waste of a life. But the one thing I suppose to be thankful for is that he did not kill anyone else."

Next 24 hours critical

Sources said that the next 24 hours would be critical, with ­experienced anti-terror detectives from Scotland Yard also being asked to lend their expertise.

Merseyside Police confirmed it had handed over the investigation to colleagues from the North West Counter-Terrorism unit, which ­regularly targets Islamist and far-right inspired terror suspects.

Armed cops swooped on addresses elsewhere in the city on Monday night.

Britain's terror threat level has been raised 

BRITAIN'S terror threat level has been raised to severe following the Liverpool car bomb plot - meaning another attack is seen as "highly likely".

The announcement comes after Boris Johnson chaired an emergency Cobra meeting yesterday to discuss the Government's response to the shocking incident.

Read more here.

Unclear when Emad Al Swealmeen entered the UK

It remained unclear when exactly the bomber entered the UK but it was understood he had been in a long-term dispute with the Home Office over his application for UK residential status.

And he had not been granted leave to remain here permanently.

A source said: “One of the issues being looked at is whether this unresolved grievance pushed him over the edge and prompted him to carry out the attack.”

Following his arrival in the UK, Al-Swealmeen lived mostly in Liverpool, where he was supported by Christian ­volunteers from a network of churches helping asylum seekers.

Liverpool terrorist built bomb packed with ball bearings

POPPY Day bomber Emad Jamil Al-Swealmeen struck after his asylum bids were repeatedly turned down, it emerged last night.

The Jordanian, 32, also had mental health problems and was once arrested with a knife.

Emad Jamil Al-Swealmeen, who had no known connections with any terrorist groups, blew himself to bits with a home-made ball-bearing device.

'To remain utterly vigilant'

Boris Johnson said the car blast at Liverpool Women’s Hospital was “a stark reminder of the need for us all to remain utterly vigilant”.

But the job of the security services’ has been made much harder by an increase in lone wolf attackers not on watch lists or known to MI5.

Last month, The Sun revealed Britain’s spy front line was at “breaking point” trying to keep tabs on thousands of newly-radicalised fanatics amid stretched budgets.

Rings of steel have been put around Christmas markets in the past to foil vehicle attacks.

Xmas under threat as lone wolf terror attacks ‘highly likely’

Spy chiefs say it is “highly likely” fanatics will attempt atrocities in the wake of the Poppy Day hospital bomb bid.

Yesterday, they raised the terror risk in the UK from “substantial” to “severe” — amid warnings that crowded places such as festive markets could be targeted.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the decision was taken because Sunday’s strike was “the second in a month”.

It followed the slaying of Tory MP Sir David Amess at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15.

Read more here.

Timeline of events

Describing the timeline of events, assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, Counter Terrorism North West, said the bomber was picked up in Rutland Avenue just before 11am.

He then asked to be taken to Liverpool Women's Hospital, which is around ten minutes away.

As the taxi approached the hospital, the explosion tore through the car and engulfed it in a fireball - killing him and injuring cabbie David.

Officers are still trying to establish a motive for the terror blast and said the investigation is "continuing at pace".

Investigation 'continuing at pace'

Officers are still trying to establish a motive for the terror blast and said the investigation is "continuing at pace".

ACC Jackson said they “cannot at this time draw any connection” with Remembrance Sunday events nearby but confirmed it is a line of inquiry.

The officer added: "It is not clear what the motivation for this incident is."

The MI5 watchlist

Police confirmed on Monday that the horror is being treated as a terror incident.

Cops believe they know the identity of the bomber - who died in the blast - but no details have so far been released.

He was not on any MI5 watchlist and is believed to be from the Middle East,  reports.

Terror arrests

Three suspects - aged 29, 26 & 21 - were arrested on Sunday under the Terrorism Act.

A fourth man, 20, was held on Monday by officers with all four suspects to be quizzed by counter-terrorism officers on Monday afternoon.

'It's a miracle he's alive'

THE wife of a taxi driver who escaped a bomb blast outside a hospital says it is a "miracle" he's alive.

David's wife has now given an update on his condition as he recovers from his injuries at home.

In a Facebook post, Rachel Perry said: “I would just like to thank each and every one of you who have messaged asking how David is.

"He is doing OK but is extremely sore and just trying to process what happened.”

She said there are "a lot of rumours flying round" but is "without doubt, lucky to be alive".

Rachel also told how it was an "utter miracle"; he managed to escape the car before it was engulfed in flames.

Explained: When did the Liverpool blast happen?

The car blew up in Liverpool at 10.59am, killing its “suspicious-looking” passenger as the country prepared to mark the Fallen at 11am on Remembrance Sunday.

Pals of the injured taxi driver, who was in a stable condition last night, said he acted courageously to thwart a bombing of the hospital, where 30 babies are born each day.