UK troops 'to guard refineries'

The plans form part of a review of protection arrangements, but the Home Office said it had not received any intelligence of an attack.

The News of the World said there were intelligence reports of al-Qaeda suspects showing an interest in some oil and gas terminals.

It named plants in Norfolk, Humberside, Grampian, Essex and Hampshire.

The paper said the gas terminal at Bacton, in Norfolk, oil and gas terminals in Humberside and Grampian and oil refineries at Coryton, in Essex, and Fawley, near Southampton, as places where security could be increased.

One quarter of Britain's gas is handled at Bacton, which also processes supplies from three North Sea fields and channels gas to and from Europe.

The paper suggested intelligence reports said al-Qaeda suspects had shown an interest in the Bacton plant and the Milford Haven gas terminal in south Wales.

But the Home Office said the threat level to Britain has not changed.

"We have been very clear that we face the severe threat of terrorism, so it is important that we consider all options to protect our assets and infrastructure," he said.

"This particular review doesn't reflect any specific threat. We constantly keep our resources under review."

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