'Credible' threat to blow up California bridges

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The Governor of California said he had credible evidence last night that terrorists may imminently target four bridges in his state, including San Fransisco's Golden Gate.

Gray Davis announced that several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, had warned that terrorists were plotting a rush-hour spectacular on the bridges between today and next Wednesday.

The attacks could be aimed at blowing up either the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge in San Fransisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles or the Coronado Bridge in San Diego.

Security around the bridges has been heightened. It had already been stepped up since the general warning given earlier this week by the Attorney General, John Ashcroft. Pedestrians and cyclists have been prevented from crossing the Golden Gate Bridge since the attacks of 11 September.

"The best preparation is to let terrorists know, we know what you're up to, we're ready for you," Mr Davis said at a press conference in Los Angeles. The Justice Department later released a copy of the warning from the FBI.

Although he realised his announcement would cause alarm among the hundreds of thousands of people who use the bridges every day, Mr Davis said there were no plans to close the structures. He said it would be up to commuters to decide whether to drive over them in the coming days.

Mr Davis said that although hundreds of bomb threats had been received for targets in California, this was only the second that had been deemed credible. The first one targeted an unspecified film studio or studios in Los Angeles. City officials in San Francisco said the threat may be no more serious than the hundreds of others received since 11 September.