Police carried out a controlled explosion this afternoon on a car outside a Paisley hospital which is treating a man who is still critically ill after yesterday's terror attack on nearby Glasgow airport.

A police spokesman confirmed that the car was believed to be linked to yesterday's airport attack, in which a Jeep Cherokee was rammed into the airport terminal - but he did not say what that link was.

A man believed to be the driver of the Jeep was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley suffering from severe burns after yesterday's incident.

A fifth arrest was made today in the investigation into two failed car bombs in London’s West End and the Glasgow airport attack. The latest arrest came in Liverpool, while Scottish police were searching a house in Glasgow as part of a nationwide operation.

‘Items sent as earthquake aid’

Hidden among clothing were goods selected and purchased to support the activities of terrorists, a court was told

Multimedia

• Pictures: Glasgow airport attack

BACKGROUND

• Brown plans to double 28-day detention limit

• Men in bungled raid say police attacked again

• More than Vigilance

• 'Dirty bomb' mastermind plotted wave of atrocities across Britain

• Jihadi house parties of hate

Related Links

• Britain under attack as bombers strike at airport

• ‘Firebomb’ car rams terminal at 30mph

• Police check Bluewater gang’s links

Multimedia

• Pictures: Glasgow airport attack

Police are also holding a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man after forcing their car onto the hard shoulder of the M6 in the early hours. In what is rapidly becoming a nationwide operation, it emerged this evening that officers were searching a number of buildings in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The links between the car bombs in London and attack in Glasgow were strengthened today when gas canisters similar to those found in the cars in London were seen being carried out of the burnt-out Jeep.

Gordon Brown last night raised the terrorist threat level to critical, the highest level, which indicates that MI5 believe a terrorist attack is expected 'imminmently'. Mr Brown said today that the would-be bombers were clearly linked to al-Qaeda.

He urged the public to continue “living their lives as normal”, but admitted: “We can expect that they will use different forms of missile or weapon or different forms of activity, whether it is planes or cars, to inflict damage,” he said.

“It is clear that we are dealing in general terms with people who are associated with al-Qaeda.”

The Government’s emergency response committee, Cobra, was convened at 11.30am today. The meeting was chaired by Jacqui Smith, the new Home Secretary.

Ms Smith used the meeting to thank the police for their extraordinary efforts and hard work and praised the public's refusal to “let anyone prevent us from getting on with our lives”.

Ms Smith encouraged people to remain vigilant and said she would set out the Government's response to the terrorist attacks in a statement to the House of Commons tomorrow.

Times Recommends

• The Times obituary: Tomaz Humar
• Too proud to claim my Jaffa Cakes on expenses
• Leaders say sorry to transported children