London Bridge attack a 'wake-up call', says MP

Jeremy Lefroy said he had contacted Staffordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner to raise concerns over the release of convicted terrorist Usman Khan.

Residents in Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, were stunned to learn Khan had been living among them, and had hatched his deadly plot from a block of flats near the Star and Garter pub.

Mr Lefroy said Khan's release in December 2018 and the fact he was then able to carry out his attack in London raised serious questions about the handling of convicted terrorists.

He suggested terrorists should be kept inside indefinitely if there are concerns they present a risk to the public.

Khan killed two people and injured three more before being shot dead by police on London Bridge.

Mr Lefroy, who is not standing for re-election, said: "The whole way in which we address these very serious offences, the way there are checks and balances put in place before they are let out needs to be looked at carefully.

"I think it's a real wake-up call for all of us, the justice system and further afield under what circumstances can people who have been convicted of these serious offences, when they should be allowed back into the community?

"We used to have indefinite sentences where someone was given a sentence of four years and are still there 15 years later. Of course, the law has changed since then.

"The protection of communities has to be at the forefront of everyone's mind and if people have doubts about the wisdom of letting someone back into the community they should not be let back into the community."

Mr Lefroy said he understood people in Stafford would be concerned someone like Khan, originally from Stoke, was allowed to live among them.

But he added: "It was somewhere not hugely far away (from Stoke) and he was monitored and tagged. They have to be somewhere, and that applies to hundreds of others, not necessarily on terrorism charges, in this country."