Raoul Moat made threats to public, police say

Detectives warned today that the fugitive gunman Raoul Moat has made threats to the wider public and not just the police. Speaking at a press conference, Northumbria's temporary chief constable, Sue Sim, said new information led officers to believe the threat extended beyond members of the force. It was also revealed that two more men have been arrested, bringing the number of people held in connection with the inquiry to four. Two of them appeared in court today. There was a strong police presence at Newcastle magistrates court where Qhuram Awan, 23, of Blyth, Northumberland, and Karl Ness, 26, of Dudley, North Tyneside, were charged with conspiracy to murder and possessing a firearm with intent. The prosecutor, Paul Simpson, said both were "part and parcel" of a plot to kill police officers. Police originally believed the men were hostages but later arrested them. After allegedly shooting Samantha Stobbart, 22, and Chris Brown, 29, early on Saturday morning, Moat is alleged to have shot and seriously injured PC David Rathband, 42, within 24 hours. He declared "war" on Northumbria police in a rambling 49-page letter. Awan and Ness appeared subdued in the dock. Awan had relatives in court who waved as he was led from the dock. The two men were remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle crown court on 22 July. There was no application for bail. David Rathband's twin, Darren, paid tribute to the police efforts in the case on behalf of his brother. He said it would be a long road to recovery but David was determined to return to work. "The chief constable has reassured him that he still has a career in the police service," he said. "He has served for 11 years and he still wants to continue to serve." David was "an inspiration not only to me but to everyone involved in this investigation", he said. "I want to thank all the police who have come from all over to resolve this situation." At a press conference later, Sim reassured the public. "I want to stress we have the resources and the resilience to deal with this situation and my officers are out in large numbers to provide reassurance and protection," she said. Detective chief superintendent Neil Adamson, who is leading the inquiry, appealed to someone who rang police at 10.30pm last night with information about a motor vehicle to call back. Adamson said investigators believed people may still be helping Moat evade police. He warned that anyone "assisting, harbouring or helping" Moat would be arrested and prosecuted. He said the two latest arrests were made "in the vicinity of Rothbury" early yesterday evening. The men were suspected of assisting Moat, he said. The search for Moat is continuing around the village of Rothbury. Sim said the terrain was challenging. "This is a beautiful part of Northumbria but it is extremely difficult to search. The area is full of hills, caves, ravines, dense woodland and deep water. This search will take time and we must protect those involved." Police forces from across Britain have provided marksmen, trained search officers, dog teams and specialist vehicles. Scotland Yard sent about 40 armed officers from its CO19 unit, including snipers armed with high-velocity rifles and telescopic sights. Police have refused to confirm speculation that SAS officers have joined the search. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has sent a fleet of armoured vehicles to offer protection to unarmed officers on patrol. Police continue to check remote farmhouses and outbuildings for signs of Moat, who abandoned a tent and other equipment earlier this week. Officers wearing protective vests and helmets were patrolling Rothbury while colleagues kept lookout from natural vantage points. An exercise on the Otterburn military range was briefly suspended today as police searched a property.