The British government's anti-terrorism strategy faced mounting criticism today after an embarrassing announcement that three men suspected of planning attacks on British or US troops abroad had absconded.
Police said the men, two of whom are brothers of a man jailed last month for plotting al-Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks across the country, had violated anti-terrorism "control orders" and failed to check in with authorities last week.
This means that more than a quarter of those subject to the orders, imposed on terrorism suspects who are not charged with a crime, are now missing after the disappearance of at least two other suspects last year.
Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, told the BBC that security services believe the three men had wanted to target British troops in Iraq or elsewhere.
"These three men were the subject of solid intelligence that they intended, not to cause damage in the UK, but that they intended to damage our national security by going as insurgents to kill British and other allied troops abroad," he said.
In an unprecedented move, Scotland Yard police named the missing men as Lamine Adam, 26, Ibrahim Adam, 20, and Cerie Bullivant, 24. Home Secretary John Reid said the men were dangerous but did not pose a direct threat to the public.
Suspects under control orders are usually entitled to anonymity because they have not been convicted of a crime.
The powers mean suspects are frequently confined to their homes for much of the day, required to wear electronic tags, obliged to check in with police, forbidden to use computers or telephones and banned from meeting people without permission.