UK considers soldiers to protect energy facilities
Following report in News of the World newspaper, Home Office says Britain is considering deploying soldiers to help guard key energy installations against threat of terrorist attack
Following a report in early editions of Sunday's News of the World newspaper, the department said they were reviewing security arrangements for oil, gas and electricity plants and pipelines.
But a spokesman said the review was not in response to any specific threat.
"The general threat level to this country has not changed. It is still severe,'" he added.
"We have been very clear that we face the severe threat of terrorism, so it is important that we consider all options to protect our assets and infrastructure.
"This particular review doesn't reflect any specific threat. We constantly keep our resources under review."
'Al-Qaeda plans to blow them up'
The News of the World said troops were to be deployed to the gas pipeline facility at Bacton in Norfolk, eastern England, oil and gas terminals in northern England and northern Scotland, as well as on England's south coast.
Bacton handles a quarter of Britain's gas, processing supplies from three North Sea fields and channeling gas to and from Europe.
The weekly claimed the move was in response to intelligence received by Britain's domestic security service MI5 of "al-Qaeda plans to blow them up" but did not quote sources.
