Under-fire MI5 chiefs were accused of lying to a committee of MPs over photographs of two members of the 7/7 gang meeting the Bluewater ringleader.

The Intelligence and Security Committee was shown one picture of 7/7 killers Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer chatting with Al Qaeda-linked fanatic Omar Khyam in early 2004. But it emerged yesterday that there are five other photos of similar meetings between Khan and Khyam. Security sources stressed it was thought unnecessary to show MPs the others as they already knew details of the meetings.

Tony Blair defended MI5 when quizzed by Opposition leader David Cameron at Question Time.

He dismissed allegations that MI5 had misled MPs and the public and rejected renewed calls for an independent public inquiry into the 7/7 atrocities. But Jacqui Putnam, who survived the blast at Edgware Road, said: “I don’t understand why they lie so inadequately to cover up these things. The very least they can do is say we are going to have an inquiry.”
She said it now looked “feasible and possible” that the 7/7 atrocities could have been prevented.

The committee heard evidence from MI5 last year over links between the 7/7 gang and Khyam – given life on Monday for plotting attacks on targets including Kent’s Bluewater shopping centre.

Khyam met Khan and Tanweer four times in early 2004 while under M15 scrutiny. But they did not pass details to Special Branch who could have easily identified Khan and his associates.