British hotels on high terror alert fearing Mumbai-type attacks

London, Jan 21 (ANI): British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has revealed that the country is on high alert fearing a Mumbai-style terrorist attacks on a top hotel.

She told MPs that security chiefs have been training staff at major hotels on how to cope with a terror hit, The Sun reported.

Ministers, police and security services are urgently reviewing the UK's counter-terrorism plans to beef up protection around hotels and other public buildings.

Appearing before the Commons Home Affairs committee, Smith said the atrocities in Mumbai in November, which claimed nearly 180 lives, had triggered an overhaul of Britain's "protective security arrangements".

"We have taken the opportunity of the review that we have done to accelerate the publication of protective security guidance to both hotels and hotel security professionals and giving them the best advice," she said.

"We have a network of counter-terrorism security advisers who are able to supplement that advice by actually visiting specific venues and delivering training," Smith added.

However, Smith said that she did not want checks to make peoples' lives a misery.

Meanwhile, she also faced questions about the arrest of Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green on suspicion of handling leaked Home Office documents.

She told the committee that she would hold a review into the way the arrest in November was handled. (ANI)