London: A 40-year old detective constable was stabbed to death on January 14 night and four other officers were injured when they tried to arrest a man wanted in connection with production of the deadly terrorist poison ricin, the police said on January 15.

The raid in Manchester followed the discovery of traces of ricin in a flat in North London last week and swoops by Scotland Yard officers on two flats in Bournemouth on January 12.

Police had gone to a flat in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester to help immigration officers in what was expected to be a simple arrest. But when they entered the flat in Crumpsall Lane they identified two of the occupants as men wanted by the Metropolitan Police in connection with the ricin found in Wood Green, London.

They had been searching the flat for an hour when one of the ricin suspects broke free and produced a large kitchen knife. He attacked them with the knife, stabbing one officer in the chest and seriously injuring one of his colleagues.

The officers called for back-up and the three men, all Algerians aged 23, 27 and 29 were arrested.

PTI