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The teenager arrested on suspicion of planting a bomb on the Tube is reportedly an Iraqi orphan who moved over to the UK as a refugee three years ago, a community leader said today.
The 18-year-old was detained by police on Saturday morning in connection with the terror attack, which saw 30 people injured when a home-made bomb was detonated on a packed carriage.
Following the arrest, police raided a house in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey – home to foster care couple Penelope and Ronald Jones who have reportedly taken in refugee children in the past.
As police continued to search the property, a local council leader told reporters that he believed the teenage suspect is an Iraqi orphan who moved to Britain aged 15 after his parents died.
Parsons Green explosion incident on the Tube – In pictures
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Images emerged on social media of flames spilling from a bucket which appeared to be on the train
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Emergency services on the platform at Parsons Green
Metro
3/27
An injured woman is assisted by a police officer close to Parsons Green station in west London after an explosion on a packed London Underground train
PA
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Armed police stand by a cordon outside Parsons Green tube station
Kevin Coombs/Reuters
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Police, fire and ambulance crews descended on the station
Cllr Daniel Holden
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An injured woman is comforted outside the station
Reuters
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Bomb disposal and armed police unitson the scene at Parsons Green
Jeremy Selwyn
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Personal belonglongs and a bucket with an item on fire inside it, are seen on the floor of an underground train carriage at Parsons Green station
Sylvian Pennec/Reuters
9/27
Police with a woman after the incident at Parsons Green
Metro
10/27
Nick Crowley shows his charred forehead following an explosion whilst on the Tube
Nick Crowley
11/27
Armed British police officers walk through the carriage of a London underground tube carriage at Parsons Green underground tube station in west London
AFP/Getty Images
12/27
Tube carriage and emergency services on the tracks after explosion
Sky News
13/27
Police and emergency services at Parsons Green Station following reports of an explosion on a tube train.
Kerry Davies/Daily Mail
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An injured woman is led away after an incident at Parsons Green underground station in London
Reuters
15/27
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley speaks to the media outside New Scotland Yard, London, after a terrorist incident was declared following a blast which sent a “fireball” and a “wall of flame” through a packed London Underground train
PA
16/27
A forensics officer on the platform at Parsons Green station in west London after Scotland Yard declared a terrorist incident following a blast which sent a “fireball” and a “wall of flame” through a packed London Underground train
PA
17/27
A tube train at Parsons Green station in west London after Scotland Yard declared a terrorist incident following a blast sent a “fireball” and a “wall of flame” through a packed London Underground train
PA
18/27
A police officer and a sniffer dog pictured near Parsons Green tube station
Reuters
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View of emergency services on the tracks at Parsons Green
Sky News
20/27
Commuters were left traumatised by the incident
Reuters
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Bomb disposal units rushed to the scene
Reuters
22/27
Crowds gather outside Parsons Green tube station
AFP/Getty Images
23/27
A woman reacts outside Parsons Green tube station
Reuters
24/27
Emergency services tend to panicked commuters outside Parsons Green Tube station
Emma (Twitter)
25/27
Images emerged of a bucket alight reportedly on the District Line train
@RRigs
26/27
Fire crews, police and ambulance crews rushed to the scene
Richard Aylmer-Hall/PA
27/27
Police vehicles line the street near Parsons Green tube station
Reuters
Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council Ian Harvey, whose ward is Sunbury East, said he had learnt about the boy’s background from neighbours of the Joneses and publicly available information.
He told the Press Association: “One thing I understand is that he was an Iraqi refugee who came here aged 15 – his parents died in Iraq.”
The Standard put the claims to the Met police– leading the investigation – but a spokesman could not confirm or deny the reports.
He said the force “would not comment on any details surrounding the suspect’s identity”.
Kent police arrested the teen on Saturday morning in the departures area of Dover ferry terminal.
He was taken into custody at a local police station and will be transferred to a south London police station in due course.
Tourist Daniel Vaselicu, 31, said he saw the “young and light-skinned” man being interrogated by two unarmed police officers moments before his arrest in Dover.
Hours later, armed police evacuated the residential street in Surrey and raided a property registered to the two foster carers.
Mrs and Mrs Jones have been foster carers for 40 years who had taken in up to 300 children, including eight refugees.
According to reports, they had an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old staying with them recently.
The couple are said to be staying with friends for at least the next five days following the police raids, during which surrounding houses were evacuated by counter-terror officers, with residents told they had “one minute” to flee their homes.
On Saturday night, police arrested a 21-year-old man in Hounslow in connection with the investigation.
The suspect, who was detained under the terrorism act, has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
Following the second arrest, police searched another residential address in Stanwell, Surrey.
And forensic teams were also searching a property in Hounslow on Sunday afternoon, with a cordon erected around the house. People were told to stay in their homes.
Thirty people were injured when the improvised device exploded during rush hour at Parsons Green station, with all but one now discharged from hospital.
A key strand of the investigation has focused on CCTV as officers comb through footage to establish who planted the device, and when and where it was placed on the train.
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