Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief resigns after blunder

Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief resigned from the police today after blunder which almost blew a huge police operation against a suspected al-Qaeda cell in the UK.

Assistant Commisioner Bob Quick’s error could have been potentially disastrous. As he arrived at 10 Downing Street (where the British Prime Minister lives) to brief Gordon Brown on the operation, he was carrying a document marked “Secret” under his arm.

The document was only visible for a second, but it was enough for the photographers. The powerful telephoto lenses made the text on the document readable in the pictures.

It revealed how many terrorist suspects were to be arrested and the operation’s secret codename – “Pathway.”

As soon as the photograph was published the operation was forced to start before planned. It involved several hundred police officers raiding 10 homes in Northen England.

Bob Quick will be replaced by Assistant Commisioner John Yates.