London terror attacks thwarted
23 November 2004

September 11-style terror attacks on the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf were thwarted, it emerged today ahead of the Queen's Speech, which will focus on security.

Plans to crash aircraft into the three skyscrapers in London's Docklands were among four or five al Qaida strikes that security chiefs believe they have stopped.

Training programmes for suicide pilots who planned a spectacular attack on the financial centre were disrupted, a senior authoritative source told the Daily Mail.

Heathrow Airport was another high-profile target for a possible simultaneous strike, the newspaper also reported.

There were no details of when or where the plot was uncovered, or how close the fanatics were to success.

Downing Street, the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the reports.

Some of the City's leading companies operate from the Canary Wharf office complex, including Trinity Mirror, owners of the Mirror, and the Telegraph Group.

The tallest of the three towers reportedly targeted is the 771ft One Canada Square 50-storey building, which is complemented by its twin neighbours, both 655ft and 45 storeys high.

The source told the newspaper that the threats were real and were not deliberately exaggerated for political purposes.

"This is not about politics, it's about hard work behind the scenes to stop what is a clear threat," the source said.