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UK police evacuates thousands from Birmingham after threat

* 142 arrested in Rome security sweep
* 20 more bodies might be trapped in London

LONDON: British police said on Saturday they were evacuating thousands of people from the centre of Britain’s second largest city, Birmingham, after receiving a threat warning.

“West Midlands police ... are now closing down the Broad Street entertainment zone and asking people to leave Birmingham town centre and go home,” said a police spokesman. Police initially restricted road traffic into the city center, but then ordered an evacuation after receiving further intelligence, a police spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. She estimated there were nearly 200 bars and clubs in the Broad Street entertainment district. “Our inquiries are ongoing. We’re not going into the nature of the threat.” Meanwhile, Police arrested 142 people in a two-day anti-terrorism security sweep around Milan prompted by the London bombings, the ANSA news agency reported on Saturday. Some 2,000 carabinieri paramilitary police fanned out across the Lombardy region, stepping up patrols around train stations, subways and other sensitive sites, ANSA said, quoting the regional commander of the carabinieri, Gen Antonio Girone.

Of those arrested, 83 were immigrants and authorities issued 52 deportation orders, ANSA said according to AP. In London, Andy Trotter, the deputy chief constable of British Transport Police, told reporters that another terrorist attack in Britain was still possible.

There were reports that 20 more bodies are believed to be trapped inside an underground train carriage near the Russell Square station in central London where 21 people were killed in a blast on Thursday.

Rescue workers and forensic experts battled horrific conditions in a confined tunnel deep below London streets, slowly recovering bodies from the bombed out underground train carriage. agencies

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