Smith: My responsibility to protect UK from international terrorism

Home secretary Jacqui Smith has made it clear she will do what is necessary in order to protect the UK from the threat of international terrorism.

As plans to extend the period for detention without trial for terror suspects to 42 days faces a legal challenge form the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Ms Smith made it clear longer periods of detention were needed.

She told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "As home secretary my responsibility is to do what I believe, and what senior police officers, the independence reviewer of terrorism and others believe, is necessary in order to protect this country from the serious, sustained and... growing threat from international terrorism.

"That's my responsibility, that's what I'll do. I'll hope parliamentarians will take their responsibility seriously to give those that we task with keeping us safe from terrorism the tools to do it."

She added the police, courts, and intelligence agencies needed the necessary tools to keep the UK safe from terrorism.

"That's what this bill is about, and that's what the period of pre-charge detention is about as well," Ms Smith said.

"Because of the scale of what's being threatened - mass casualties, suicide bombings - actually for public safety quite often police have to step in early before a crime has been committed and before evidence has actually been gathered."