LONDON, Dec 21: A cargo ship suspected of carrying terrorist material was intercepted in the English Channel, off the Sussex coast, here on Friday morning. Police boarded the ship on a tip off that it might be carrying explosives or anthrax.

The police say the ship was travelling from Mauritius, adding that the Anti-Terrorist Branch, Royal Navy and Customs officials were taking part in a joint security operation and searching the 500-foot vessel.

“The crew is cooperating fully and are currently being interviewed and the ship inspected,” a police spokesman said, and added that there was no immediate danger to people living in the area.

The ship believed to be carrying cargo sugar had sailed from Mauritius, stopped off in Djibouti, next to Somalia, which has been linked with Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaida network.

The British government fearing there could be terrorist attacks during the Christmas time has taken unprecedented security measures across the country.

The security agencies have already warned that cities like London could be the target for both Islamic extremists and renegade Irish terrorists trying to disrupt the peace process.

Thousands of extra police have been on anti-terrorist patrol in London, protecting potential targets such as Downing Street, Canary Wharf and the airport.

The police have also launched an urgent appeal to Londoners to remain vigilant for the possibility of terrorist attacks.

The security sources say the biggest threat is from the Islamic extremists who may try to carry out an attack against civilians in London in retaliation for the attacks on Afghanistan. The government has distributed an internal memo warning senior security officials across London to be on the alert for the possibility of suicide bomb attacks during the Christmas period.