Bid to plug `terror gap'

A senior law lord urged the Government to close a "major gap" in anti-terrorist laws to stop Britain being used as a base for international terrorists.

Lord Lloyd said there needed to be a review of means available to police and intelligence services to see if more changes could be made to help them attack terrorism finances. "A major gap ... is that it is not an offence in Britain to conspire to commit acts of terrorism abroad."

Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, was studying the report last night, but Home Office sources said it was unlikely that there would be room for a substantial anti-terrorism Bill in the present session of Parliament.