Security alert: A man with suspected links to Al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a plane as it prepared to land in Detroit. Police are searching addresses in central London after it emerged the man was a student at University College London
Warm welcome: Zan Jafry (left) helps his father Syed Jafry, who was aboard the affected flight, with his coat
Relief: Jeannia Samimi ( left), pictured with her daughters Emily and Amber, waits for her daughter Jasmin to disembark the Northwest flight
Security alert: Police patrol the airport following the attempted attack
Personnel swarm around Northwest Airlines Flight 253 after a Nigerian suspect allegedly tried to detonate a powdery substance
Onward bound: Shocked passengers from the flight leave the Detroit terminal
Searches are being carried out in central London after a man with suspected links to Al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a transatlantic plane, Scotland Yard said today.
Security has been stepped up at UK airports for passengers flying to the US, the Department for Transport said.
The Nigerian suspect allegedly tried to detonate a powdery substance on a flight from Amsterdam as it prepared to land at Detroit with 278 people on board.
US law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab.
The 23-year-old is reportedly an engineering student at University College London.
A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: 'We are in liaison with the US authorities.
'Searches are being carried out at addresses in central London.'
She refused to give further details.
It is understood from security sources that police and MI5 will want to see 'as a matter of priority' the significance of any time that he spent in the UK.
It is also understood that extra staff and resources have been assigned to the investigation.
One of the key priorities will be to check whether he has cropped up in the course of any other investigations.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: 'In response to events in Detroit the US authorities have requested additional measures for US-bound flights.
'We are monitoring the situation and will make any assessments as necessary as this develops.'
Although general airport security remains the same, with no change to luggage and liquid restrictions, passengers travelling to the US can expect increased searches at the gate before boarding.
Airport operator BAA said in a statement: 'Passengers travelling to the United States should expect their airline to carry out additional security checks prior to boarding.
'To support this important process, which will take time, we would advise passengers to leave more time to check in and limit the amount of baggage being taken on board the aircraft.
'If in any doubt, please contact the relevant airline for further information.'
Passengers scrambled to subdue the man after the attempted attack on the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 yesterday.
Dutch passenger Peter Smith said: 'It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase.
'First there was a pop, and then (there) was smoke.'
He said one passenger appeared to have been burned after climbing across other passengers to try to restrain the alleged attacker.
Shortly afterwards, the suspect was apparently taken to a front row seat with his trousers cut off and his legs badly burned.
The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism.
The US government has tightened airport screening measures as a result of the incident, which is reminiscent of a terror attempt by 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid.
The Briton tried to destroy a transatlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his shoes. He was subdued by other passengers and is serving a life sentence in the US.
A US law enforcement source said Mutallab's name surfaced on at least one US intelligence database but not to the extent that he was placed on a watch list or a no-fly list.
US sources also claimed the man claimed to have been instructed by Al Qaeda to detonate the plane over US soil.
But other law enforcement officials said this could not be immediately verified and the man may have been acting independently.
The man was being treated in an Ann Arbor, Michigan, hospital.
The White House said President Barack Obama discussed the incident with security officials and was monitoring the situation from his holiday spot in Hawaii.
The Homeland Security Department encouraged travellers to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behaviour.
Terrorism expert Dr Sally Leivesley told BBC News: 'This looks as though it is a first attempt of a new way to use the body to conceal explosives.
'In the past it was a can of liquid explosive.
'Now they may be concealing the explosives on the human body, but on the inside upper leg, and we only know this by seeing a very badly burnt leg on the suspected perpetrator.'
She said the suspect may have used a syringe to conceal a chemical used for detonation.
Aviation expert Chris Yates told BBC News: 'Security is not 100 per cent at airports anywhere in the world, that's been shown time and time again. The security processes are relatively robust but we can't head off every single threat.
'Why did this individual not get a second screening having come off a flight from Nigeria apparently?
'He should have, if he had been monitored by the intelligence services, he should have been identified as a person who they have an interest in.'
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