UK terror threat lowered to ‘substantial’
The terror threat level in the UK has dropped from “severe” to “substantial” following a reduction in incidents across Europe.
Home secretary Priti Patel announced this morning that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has lowered the British national terrorism threat level, while warning that “a terrorist attack is still likely”.
Patel said the decision followed “a significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe since those seen between September and November 2020”.
However, she warned that the UK national threat level would be “kept under constant review and is subject to change at any time”.
“Terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks to our National Security. Substantial continues to indicate a high level of threat; and an attack on the UK is still likely. The public should continue to remain vigilant and report any concerns to the police,” she added.
Terror threats have waned since a spate of major attacks in Europe last year.
A series of shootings by an Isis militant in Vienna on 2 November was the last in a wave of terror attacks across the continent, including the brutal killing of three people at a church in the French city of Nice in October.
The UK responded to the attacks by raising its terror alert level to “severe”, amid warnings that extremists were plotting copycat attacks across Europe.
The highest of the five terror threat levels — “critical” — was last reached in September 2017, in the wake of the Parsons Green train bombing.
Patel warned that “terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks to our national security,” and that the current threat level of “‘substantial’ continues to indicate a high level of threat; and an attack on the UK is still likely.”