Paddington Green Police Station

Paddington Green Police Station in Paddington, west central London, England, is a station operated by the Metropolitan Police Service. It is a conventional police station, open to the public 24 hours a day, but also serves as the most important high-security police station in the United Kingdom. The building is a typical 1960s office block, except for the 16 high-security cells located in the floors below ground level, which have a separate custody suite from the building's other cells.

High-profile terrorist suspects arrested across the UK are often taken to Paddington Green for interrogation and holding until escorted to a Court of Law. Suspects who have been held there include members of the IRA, the British nationals released from Guantanamo Bay and the 21 July 2005 London bombers.

A small IRA bomb was detonated in the telephone box outside Paddington Green station early on the morning of October 10 1992, as a demonstration aimed at the British Security Services. [cite hansard | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo960304/text/60304w13.htm | house= House of Commons| date=4 March 1996]

In 2007, a joint parliamentary human rights committee stated that the old and decrepit mid-1960s police station was "plainly inadequate". Lord Carlile, the official reviewer of the government's terrorism laws, has said the Metropolitan Police needs a new custody suite suitable for up to 30 terrorism suspects. A new maximum-security facility is being prepared to replace it. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/21/terrorism.uksecurity "New anti-terror jail to replace Paddington Green station"] Guardian, 21/9/2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article550313.ece Secure, spartan and no home comforts] , from the UK Times
* [http://www.met.police.uk/westminster/stations.htm Contact information, photo and map] , from the Westminster Borough Police