August 2006 in Britain and Ireland

__NOTOC__August 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - →

"This page deals with current events in the English-speaking places of Europe. These are England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar."

10 August 2006 (Thursday)

* MI5 raises the UK threat level to critical for the first time as 21 arrests are made in the disrupted terrorist plot to target as many as 10 planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4778575.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1841140,00.html (Guardian)]
*Heathrow Airport is closed to most incoming European flights as a result on bans on flights of three hours or less. Congestion builds due to ban most types of hand luggage. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778871.stm]

9 August 2006 (Wednesday)

* John Reid states that critics of the UK government's anti-terror policies "just don't get it" and that Britain was facing "probably the most sustained period of severe threat since the end of the second world war" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1841132,00.html (Guardian)]
* Two brothers are convicted of murdering Damilola Taylor in November 2000. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5252570.stm (BBC News)]
* Labour MP Jim Sheridan resigns his post as a parliamentary private secretary to the defence team in protest over the government policy in the Middle East. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4777677.stm]

8 August 2006 (Tuesday)

*England defeat Pakistan by 167 runs to clinch the series in the Third Test at Headingley [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvpak/content/story/255927.html (Cricinfo)]
*Three men, including the Royal Correspondent of the News of the World newspaper, are arrested following allegations of phone-tapping of staff in Prince Charles's household [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5258918.stm (BBC)]