Terror alert at 7/7 Tube station blamed on four urban explorers

Roof top: two urban explorers on the deserted flour mill Millennium Mills near the Thames Barrier. Members regard themselves as 'industrial archaeologists'
12 April 2012

Four men at the centre of a London terror alert may have been "urban explorers" searching for a disused Tube station, it emerged today.

The men, dressed in dark clothing and carrying cameras, were spotted on CCTV at Russell Square Tube station at about 3.45am on Easter Monday.

At first CCTV operators thought they were wearing balaclavas and police moved in amid fears the group could have been plotting an attack in the run-up to the royal wedding.

The men, aged 19, 20, 23 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of railway trespass and burglary. They are thought to have told police they were part of a group who explore abandoned buildings and restricted sites.

It is unclear why they were exploring Russell Square station, one of the scenes of the 7/7 terror attacks. It is possible they were searching for one of the "lost" Tube stations, called Museum, which is nearby.

A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: "Track currents can be live right throughout the night, with maintenance trains running between stations and engineering works under way. Anyone who does illegally gain access to the railway is not only committing an offence, they are risking their lives."

It is not clear if the men, from Hastings, Kent, Reading and Tottenham, walked through tunnels with live rails. They were released on bail.

One London Underground insider said the men were spotted near a lift which was normally used by contractors working on the line.

The source said: "It is thought that these men got in through a substation which is very difficult to get to. I heard that they may also have made their way through Aldwych. The whole thing was kept very quiet, it's a bit fishy."

Who are they?

The Urban Explorers movement has its roots in America but has gained followers in Britain.

A recent Evening Standard article highlighted how some enthusiasts pursue the activity for kicks while others view themselves as "industrial archaeologists".

The explorers remain anonymous and adopt aliases such Rooftop Vermin. Their motto is: take only photographs, leave only footprints.

The activity is said to have grown over the past decade thanks to the internet, with branches from San Francisco to Paris where urban explorers hold impromptu parties in the catacombs beneath the city.

The UK's main online forum, 28dayslater.co.uk - named after the post-apocalyptic Danny Boyle film - has about 10,000 members.

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