Week Three

Week Three

Article 1, handed in by 4.30pm:

Attempted Assassination on the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister has been taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary after being injured this afternoon, Number 10 Downing Street has reported.

The Prime Minister was visiting the Haxford Factory on the Old Canalworks Industrial Estate in Bolton to announce the latest growth figures of 0.7%.

Shortly after 4pm, reporters and witnesses on the scene heard shots fire and the Prime Minister was whisked away by the Secret Service officers.

The large brick building itself was quickly evacuated as Emergency Services attended the scene.

BBC Political Correspondent Jeremy Robinson was on the scene at the time when he heard the shooting. “At first I thought a piece of machinery had fallen over”, he said, “then I saw a crowd of Secret Service agents descend on the Prime Minister and whisk him away”

There is speculation regarding the condition of the Prime Minister, although no official statement has been released.

Gary Simpson, a reporter from ITV, has said he saw the Prime Minister fall over, but that may have been due to shock or the Secret Service pushing him to the ground.

Robinson also commented “the workers are all wearing the same orange helmets and fluorescent vests”, making identification difficult.

Politicians have flocked to Twitter to express their initial responses to the incident.

Ed Miliband tweeted “The perpetrators must be brought to justice”, while William Hague called it a “bad day for 

Britain when the Prime Minister is shot at”.

Hague also commented “These people have no respect for our democracy”.

Boris Johnson also expressed his own response, tweeting “Whomever shot at the PM should be locked up for life, and the key thrown away.”

There has so far been no further response from Number 10 Downing Street on the condition of the Prime Minister.

Article 2

Attempted Assassination on the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister was taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary Hospital this afternoon with a gunshot wound, Number 10 Downing Street has reported.

The Prime Minister was visiting the Haxford Factory on the Old Canalworks Industrial Estate in Bolton to announce the latest growth figures of 0.7%.

Shortly after 4pm, Prime Minister David Cameron was making small talk with workers at the factory when gunshots were heard.

Eyewitness David Anderson, 46, said “The Prime Minister fell down holding his arm, I think only one bullet hit him.”

The large brick building of the factory was quickly evacuated as Emergency Services attended the scene and the Secret Service took Mr Cameron away.

BBC Political Correspondent Jeremy Robinson was on the scene at the time when he heard the shots fire. “At first I thought a piece of machinery had fallen over” he says, “then I saw a crowd of Secret Service descend on the Prime Minister and whisk him away”

Doctors at Manchester Royal Infirmary Hospital say Cameron has suffered grazing on his right arm caused by the bullet passing, and it is expected that he will be discharged in the next few hours.

A man has been arrested under anti-terrorism laws in connection with the shooting, say Greater Manchester Police Service.

Police are also conducting searches on two other addresses and a vehicle in the area.

Police Sergeant Tony Williams advises residents in the Burden area stay in their own homes and only answer the door when prompted to by the police.

The searches are on-going and public safety remains our overriding concern”, he says.

The Deputy Prime Minister is said to be “appalled” by the news of the shooting.

Politicians have flocked to Twitter to express their initial responses to the incident.

Ed Miliband tweeted “The perpetrators must be brought to justice”, while William Hague called it a “bad day for 

Britain when the Prime Minister is shot at”.

Boris Johnson also expressed his own response, tweeting “Whomever shot at the PM should be locked up for 
life, and the key thrown away.”

The Home Secretary has extended her thanks to the Greater Manchester Police and London Metropolitan Police for “putting their own lives on the line to save the Prime Minister”.

Mr Cameron is not the first British Prime Minister to survive an assassination attempt;  he joins the likes of British MP Stephen Timms, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Honorary Vice President of the British Zionist Federation, Joseph Sieff.

MP Stephen Timms was attacked with a knife on May 14^th, 2010. He was attacked in Beckton, East London, by Al-Qaeda sympathiser Roshonara Choudhry, and left with lacerations to the liver and stomach.

The attempt on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s life came in the form of a bomb blast on October 12^th, 1984. She was attacked by the IRA in Brighton, which resulted in five deaths.

December  30^th, 1973 saw Joseph Sieff survive an attempt on his life with a gun; attacked by “Carlos the Jackal”, member of  Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was attacked in London and the would-be assassin fled the scene.

This isn’t the first time Mr Cameron has survived an attempt on his life, either.

A month after being appointed to Office in June 2010, he was forced to abandon a trip to a British Military Base in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

Military intelligence intercepted communications between would-be assassins, hearing comments on shooting down the helicopter set to carry the Prime Minister.

The foiled assassins were identified as members of the Taliban.