The Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA), dedicated to establishing an independent Scottish republic, sent the warning to the offices of The Sunday Times in Glasgow.
Strathclyde police are examing the e-mail, believed to come from a Canadian server, which states: “Our aim is to poison water supplies in England, not in the entire UK. We have the means to do this and we shall. This is a war and we intend to win it.”
The Home Office has also launched an investigation after instructions on how to contaminate the water supply with toxic chemicals were published by the Scottish Separatist Group (SSG), the political wing of the SNLA.
The terror manual gives detailed guidance on carrying out attacks on UK cities using a home-made substance that can be fatal in large and prolonged doses.
The document, entitled “How to make and use a home-made weapon of mass destruction (WMD)”, said the substance — which The Sunday Times has decided not to name — was an “effective” weapon capable of killing thousands of people and permanently contaminating the water supply. It states: “The aim is to destroy the economic, political and military power of the state by poisoning and contaminating the drinking water supplies of any major city.
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“This will permanently contaminate the drinking water supplies on which all urban society is totally dependant, killing and injuring thousands of people”.
It claims Britain’s water supply is particularly vulnerable to attack with a WMD that is simple and cheap to make.
The SSG was formed in 1995 by former members and supporters of the SNLA, which is proscribed as a terrorist group. Both groups want to reverse English immigration into Scotland and restore Gaelic as the country’s national language.
The SNLA is responsible for previous terror attacks, including a letter bomb campaign in the 1990s.
Andrew McIntosh, a former cell commander, was jailed for 12 years in 1993 after being convicted of sending letter bombs to the former Scottish Office in Edinburgh.
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After serving six years he was released, but later rearrested, in 2004, following a police swoop on suspects ahead of the opening of the Scottish parliament. He was found hanged in his cell at Aberdeen’s Craiginches prison, hours before he was due in court with two other men on firearms charges.
England’s water network, which includes thousands of miles of underground pipes anddozens of treatment plants, has long been considered a target for terrorists. Millions have been spent on anti-terrorist measures.
The Home Office confirmed it was scrutinizing the SNLA publication under the 2006 Terrorism Act. Strathclyde police said the SNLA was being investigated.
Adam Busby, a Dublin-based Scot who reportedly leads the SNLA, may be targeted for extradition to America to face terror charges. Police in Ireland are said to have agreed to help the FBI, MI5 and Special Branch to investigate the 56-year-old former soldier, who served in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
It follow a series of e-mails to America about how to contaminate US water supplies.