Britain said on Friday that al Qaeda had targeted parliament and called for an urgent security shake-up after two embarrassing breaches in 24 hours.
"The security services briefed me some time ago about intelligence they had about al Qaeda operatives in Britain focusing on parliament," said the government's leader in the House of Commons, Peter Hain.
Hain declined to give details of the intelligence information but added: "I was very determined to act upon it."
Intelligence-driven fears that Islamic extremists could wreak havoc in the "mother of parliaments" have underlined the urgency of setting up a 21st century security operation.
Many believe it is time to turn to professionals after centuries of parliament being policed by "men in tights" - the Serjeant-at-Arms and his ceremonial ushers in traditional dress, with swords at their side.
Fox hunting supporters who stormed the debating chamber revealed that they breezed into parliament on Wednesday without challenge, and the next day an undercover reporter managed to smuggle fake bomb-making equipment into parliament. "This is the age of the suicide terrorist," said Hain.
"What I want is a new professional director of security who has responsibility and authority right across parliament."
Hain even congratulated the Sun tabloid for the stunt by a reporter who got a job as a waiter with bogus references and showed what a farce security had become at a time when Britain is a prime terror target due to its pro-US foreign policy.
Robin Cook, Hain's predecessor in the Commons, said no one had got so heated when lesbian demonstrators abseiled into the upper chamber and a protester dumped manure over the Commons balcony.
"We cannot square a fortress parliament with an open democracy," he wrote in the Independent newspaper.
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