London, Feb 8: A senior British police chief believes the country's Muslim community could do more to help identify potential terrorists in its midst.

Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, Sir Norman Bettison, said that while he is conscious there is a fine line between winning the support of the Muslim community and alienating it, there is a need for the community to work with the police

"I'm looking for the community to work much more closely with the police in identifying young people that they have concerns about in terms of the people that they're mixing with, the sort of websites that they're going on to and the material that they're reading," The Scotsman quoted Bettison, as saying.

"That information can only come from the community itself," he added.

Bettison, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers' representative for policy on tackling violent extremism, said the community has to keep itself alert to avoid any major plot.

"I think we have to be alert and conscious of the risk that's ever-present and be prepared to share information. So, the community as a whole could do more and the Muslim community is a part of that," he said.

"I think it's a generation of treatment to prevent the infection spreading and I think that will take us probably 20 years," he added.

Bettison's comments are vital as three of the July 7, 2005 London bombers came from West Yorkshire and the area is also home to Hamaad Munshi, Britain's youngest convicted terrorist.