PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has warned of the danger of future atrocities and will discuss the threat from international terrorists with Prime Minister Tony Blair when they meet on Monday.

The MP was elected to the Parliamentary Committee of the Labour Party in July and meets the MP on a weekly basis.

Speaking at his Nelson office, Mr Prentice said they would discuss the response to the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington.

He said: "The atrocities in which thousands of innocent people lost their lives were appalling acts of brutality carried out by crazed fanatics.

"They have been condemned by Muslims here in the UK and abroad.

"No-one should blame Islam for the outrage in America. Islam specifically states there can be no excuse for taking innocent lives."

Mr Prentice said the clear priority was to find the individuals linked to the crime, adding: "The kind of people who are prepared to fly aeroplanes into skyscrapers are also quite capable of other outrages, such as crashing a plane into a nuclear power station or even poisoning a city's water supply.

"These things no longer appear far-fetched. These threats are real and we've got to address them.

"What is absolutely essential is that we cannot and must not shoot from the hip and expose the innocent to danger."

Mr Prentice added; "At a time of unremitting gloom and bad news, I welcome the statement by President Arafat and moves by the Israeli government to institute a cease-fire.

"I want to see the Middle East peace talks resumed without preconditions."