TONY BLAIR declared his full backing for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner yesterday, saying that this was no time to question the positions of those protecting Britain from a terrorist threat.

Sir Ian Blair was doing a “fine job” and police had a duty to act on intelligence by carrying out counter-terrorist raids such as that in Forest Gate, East London, the Prime Minister said.

He told reporters: “I retain complete confidence in Sir Ian and, more than that, I retain complete confidence in our police and our security services in tackling the terrorist threat that we face. That threat is real. We know it is real because it has killed innocent people in this country.”

The Prime Minister’s strong backing for Sir Ian was intended to halt the flurry of speculation over his future after details emerged of a catalogue of police blunders before and after the fatal shooting by police last year of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian who was mistaken for a terrorist.

The handling of anti-terrorist operations by the Metropolitan Police has been under renewed scrutiny since the raid in Forest Gate, where Abdul Kahar Kalam, 23, was shot and injured and his brother, Abul Koyair Kalam, 20, was arrested. Both have been released without charge.

Tony McNulty, the Home Office Minister, appeared to cast doubt on Sir Ian’s future when asked whether he should continue as Commissioner, saying on Sunday: “I think we need to wait and see.”

Ken Livingstone joined attempts to rally support for Sir Ian Blair amid protests that disgruntled officers and police watchdogs were trying to undermine him.

The Mayor of London attacked as politically motivated leaks of the inquiry into the shooting of Mr de Menezes. Mr Livingstone told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday: “Compare the position of Sir Ian Blair, who has been remarkably stoic and kept his counsel throughout this period, with the endless leaks from the police complaints authority.

“It has almost been a trial by leak — drip, drip, drip, with reporters being shown reports or bits of reports, all of them aimed at damaging Sir Ian and the reputation of the police.”

Len Duvall, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said that Sir Ian had faced attempts by “disgruntled elements” within the force to undermine him since taking over last year. He said: “Sir Ian and his management team enjoy the confidence of a substantial majority of the police authority and the Government and the Mayor of London.”

Ken Jones, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: “It is right and proper that the tragic events of those dark days be fully scrutinised. But it is not right and proper that superficial armchair judgments are now being arrived at based on leaks, gossip and innuendo.”

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