LONDON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- British police and security service believe that at least 400 Al-Qaida terrorist suspects are running at large in the country.

    Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, director-general of the country's security service, MI5, said the figure could be as high as 600 if counting those returned from combat training in Pakistan, Afghanistan, according the Sunday Times.

    Officials say the 400 include a "hard core" of between 40 and 60 trained fighters with the capability and the intention to carryout attacks in Britain.

    James Hart, police commissioner of the City of London, warned over the weekend that the lack of trained surveillance teams was undermining efforts in monitoring all the suspects.

    The Joint Intelligence Committee of security chiefs has warned that Al-Qaida's campaign against Britain and other western countries has been "energized" by the war in Iraq. They believe terrorism campaign could last at least 20 years.

    The MI5 has meted out a map of terror hot spots across Britain. Police believe that the Manchester area in central Britain could be a acute area, where several suspected suicide bombers have been stopped at the airport en route for Iraq, said the Sunday newspaper. Enditem