Shepherd’s Bush bomb suspect arrested in Rome

The fourth suspect, arrested in Rome, is a Somali national who is a naturalised British citizen, according to the Italian authorities, writes Bob Sherwood.

Giuseppe Pisanu, Italian interior minister, on Friday named the man as Hussain Osman. He is suspected of attempting to detonate a bomb on a Tube train near Shepherd’s Bush station on July 21.

Mr Pisanu said: “The arrest made a short while ago in Rome of the Somali Hussain Osman, the fourth suspected attacker on July 21 in London, is really deserving of praise.”

Italian authorities indicated that the operation was still continuing on Friday night. Mr Pisanu said it had been conducted “in the context of international co-operation”.

Reports from Italy suggested Mr Osman was 27 and had a brother-in-law living in Rome. Some reports indicated he had left the UK two days ago.

On Wednesday evening police had released clearer CCTV images of the man they believed was responsible for the Shepherd’s Bush attack. He was seen on a No 220 bus heading for Wandsworth, south London. There were also indications Mr Osman had travelled through Paris and Milan before reaching Rome.

Italian government insiders reported that the authorities had intercepted mobile phone communications indicating the man’s location in a Rome suburb. Italian police, with other forces on the Continent, had been working with Scotland Yard and British intelligence agencies.

Security officials had refused to rule out the possibility that at least one of the bombers had fled overseas, but had been convinced most of them were still in the UK.