HORROR AT SYNAGOGUE

Armed cops shoot dead suspect 'wearing an explosive-type vest'

- BY PHIL CARDY, CHRIS HUGHES and HOLLIE BONE

FEAR gripped the UK Jewish community yesterday after two people were killed in a synagogue car and knife attack in Manchester.

Police are treating the attack as terrorism after a man drove his car at a crowd of people outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, crashing into the gates.

The attacker - named by police as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35 -then started stabbing people, killing two and injuring four. The horror happened on Yom Kippur - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The terrorist was shot dead by police. He was wearing a “vest with the appearance of an explosive device” which police later confirmed was “not viable”.

It is not known if the attacker was a 'lone wolf' or part of a wider network, but UK Counter Terror Police and MI5 launched a major review of the threat against the Jewish community amid concerns over “copycat attacks”.

Last night a western security source said: “Many of us have felt for some time that this was going to happen, whether it is a lone-wolf or a more sinister and wider activity.

"Physically local community leaders will be advised on improving security and being on the lookout for hostile surveillance, people watching an area to plot attacks.

"If it turns out the attacker was an Islamic extremist that may be easier to monitor - as chatter on the internet and phones etc. following this incident may lead to more suspects and surveillance.