Three men were today charged over the July 7 terror attacks on London.
Waheed Ali, Sadeer Saleem and Mohammed Shakil are accused of conspiring with the four 7/7 suicide bombers, who killed 52 innocent people.
They are charged with conspiracy to cause explosions on the transport for London system and/or tourist attractions in the capital likely to endanger life. They are the first people to be charged in connection with the attacks.
However, Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism supremo Peter Clarke said it was "highly likely" that there would be more arrests over the July 7 bombings.
Mr Clarke said he knew "for a fact" that there were others with knowledge of the attacks who were still at large. Some people had been "actively dissuaded" from coming forward with what they knew, he said.
But he warned that it was only a "matter of time" before the police uncovered the full truth about the suicide bombings.
"I only wish that I could share with you the extent of what we have discovered - but I cannot," he told a press conference at New Scotland Yard. "That must wait for the trial of those who have been charged or any others who may be charged in the future.
"So the detail of the evidence must wait but it’s probably fair to describe it as a complicated jigsaw with thousands of pieces. We now have enough of the pieces in the right places for us to see the picture but it is far from complete. Because of that, the search is not over.
"I firmly believe that there are other people who have knowledge of what lay behind the attack in July 2005 - knowledge that they have not shared with us, in fact I don’t only believe it, I know it for a fact."
Mr Clarke then made a direct appeal to the people of West Yorkshire - particularly Beeston where several of the 7/7 bombers had links - to come forward with what they knew of the background to the attacks.
"I have a simple appeal to make today. It is for those people who have information and who have not yet spoken to us, mainly in the West Yorkshire area, to come forward," he said. "I do understand that some of you will have real concerns about the consequences of telling us what you know.
"I also know that some of you have been actively dissuaded from speaking to us. Surely this must stop. The victims of the attacks and those who will become victims of terrorism in the future deserve your co-operation and support."
Mr Clarke said the police still needed information about the four suicide bombers themselves and about the three who have been charged today.
He added: "We need to know about their movements, meetings and travel. Who did they meet? Where did they go? But as well as this who else knew about what was happening?
"We will find out, it is only a matter of time. It is highly likely that in due course there will be further arrests."
