British Urged to Keep Doors Locked Amid Fears of Fugitive Gunman

Fugitive British gunman Raoul Moat has now threatened to target members of the "wider public," police revealed Thursday as they urged people to keep their doors locked and their homes secure.

"From the outset we have stressed Moat has grievances largely directed towards police," Temporary Chief Constable Sue Sim of Northumbria Police said at a press conference.
"Information has now emerged that Moat has made threats towards the wider public."

Sim's comments marked a dramatic twist to the manhunt that is poised to enter its seventh day Friday.

The powerfully-build fugitive is believed to be hiding in the rural town of Rothbury in northeast England. The normally-quiet town has been enclosed in a ring of steel in recent days as authorities try to flush him out.

Meanwhile, two men arrested Tuesday, Karl Ness, 26, and Qhuram Awan, 23, appeared in a court Thursday charged with conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm with intent in relation to the shootings.

Both men were remanded in custody after magistrates in Newcastle, also in England's northeast, heard allegations that they had helped Moat in his plot to kill policemen.

Police chiefs also revealed Thursday that two further suspects had been taken into custody the previous evening within the Rothbury area on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Father-of-three Moat, 37, is wanted for shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing her new lover Saturday, before critically injuring a police officer in an attack early Sunday.

As the search for him continued into its sixth day, police admitted they were disappointed not to have located the suspected killer.

There was "no doubt" Moat was receiving help from others, Sim said, adding that it was "extremely difficult" to search for him across the numerous caves, hills and ravines surrounding Rothbury.

She said that the local force sought help from the British military to track him down and thanked the public for its patience in the search.

Three new images of the bodybuilder -- taken on July 2, hours before the shootings -- were released to the media Thursday.

They showed Moat shopping at a store in Newcastle wearing a bright orange t-shirt, dark jeans and white sneakers.

Speaking at a public meeting held Thursday evening, Chief Superintendent Mark Dennett urged Rothbury residents to keep their windows and doors locked and not to make unnecessary trips out into the countryside.

"We are saying be vigilant," he said, "Do not put yourselves at unnecessary risk. We are in a country area here. It is common for people to leave their doors and windows open. What we are saying is to close your doors, close your windows. If you want to go out then go about your business but do so with vigilance."

He stressed that Moat was not targeting specific members of the community -- and families living in isolated farmhouses were unlikely to be at extra risk.

Police have arranged to have officers stationed at local schools to reassure the public, Sky News reported.

The broadcaster added that teams of snipers have also been spotted in the hills overlooking Rothbury. However police chiefs have denied reports that soldiers from Britain's elite military unit, the SAS, have been drafted in to boost the manhunt.

In a further development Thursday, it emerged that armed officers hunting Moat accidentally left a magazine of live bullets in a child's bedroom after searching a house in Newcastle.

The clip, containing 20 5.56 caliber bullets, was discovered by the parents of an 11-year-old girl, according to reports.

The couple, who have not been named, were quizzed but subsequently cleared of any involvement in his bid to evade capture.