UK terror threat level raised to 'severe'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <div class="videoInStoryB" style="width: 448px;"> <div class="emp page-bookmark-link-aware" id="emp-28982250-73537" style="height: 252px; position: relative; width: 448px;"> <div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 252px; padding-bottom: 0px; position: relative; width: 448px; z-index: 999;">  <iframe frameborder="0" id="smphtml5iframeemp-28982250-73537" name="smphtml5iframeemp-28982250-73537" scrolling="no" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/releases/smp-html/player.html?1.3.14" style="height: 252px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 448px;"></iframe></div> </div> <div class="caption" style="clear: both; float: none; padding: 0px 0px 16px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Theresa May said the decision was made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre</span></div> </div> <div class="story-feature related narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28986271#story_continues_1" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Related Stories</span></span></h2> <ul class="related-links-list" style="border-top-style: none; clear: both; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 8px 0px 0px;"> <li style="background-image: none; 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padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The new alert level rates the risk of an attack on the UK "highly likely", although Mrs May said there was no evidence to suggest one was "imminent".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is the second highest of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/terrorism-national-emergency/terrorism-threat-levels" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">five possible UK threat levels</a>.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">David Cameron promised new legislation would make it easier to take passports from those travelling abroad to fight.</span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">'Gaps in armoury'</span></span><div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The home secretary already has the power, under the Royal Prerogative, to withhold a passport if it is in the public interest to stop somebody travelling.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That power was used 14 times between April 2013 and the end of March 2014 to stop people travelling abroad for alleged terrorist-related or criminal activity.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a Downing Street press conference on Friday, the prime minister said Islamic State (IS) extremists - who are attempting to establish a "caliphate", or Islamic state - represented a "greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before".</span></div> <div class="videoInStoryB" style="width: 448px;"> <div class="emp page-bookmark-link-aware" id="emp-28984056-73538" style="height: 252px; position: relative; width: 448px;"> <div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 252px; padding-bottom: 0px; position: relative; width: 448px; z-index: 999;"> <iframe frameborder="0" id="smphtml5iframeemp-28984056-73538" name="smphtml5iframeemp-28984056-73538" scrolling="no" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/releases/smp-html/player.html?1.3.14" style="height: 252px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 448px;"></iframe></div> </div> <div class="caption" style="clear: both; float: none; padding: 0px 0px 16px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">PM David Cameron: "We need to fill the gaps in our armoury"</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said that "learning lessons from the past doesn't mean there isn't a place for our military" in combating the threat, but did not commit to any military action.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He added the "threat is growing" from Britons travelling to fight with IS, saying at least 500 people had travelled from the UK "to fight in Syria and potentially Iraq".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead for counter-terrorism, said security and protection measures were being increased following the raised threat level.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And efforts are continuing to identify a suspected British jihadist who appeared in IS footage of the killing of US journalist James Foley.</span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="line" height="2" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77189000/jpg/_77189503_line976.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="A burning jeep, with several people visible in the foreground (picture quality is low)" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77265000/jpg/_77265640_006316833-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 464px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The terror threat was raised to "critical" after the 2007 attack on Glasgow Airport</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Analysis by Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent</strong></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The raised threat level may not lead to visible signs of change on the streets - but it is a sign of the increased concern and security activity behind the scenes involving all of the UK's intelligence and security bodies.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The last time the level was this high was between January 2010 and the summer of 2011. This may have been linked to attempts by an al-Qaeda affiliate to smuggle bombs on to planes heading out of the Middle East.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The highest level is "critical"- meaning an attack is expected imminently. Officials have twice put the country on such an alert - in 2006 after the discovery of liquid bombs aimed at airliners and then the following year when extremists attempted to bomb Glasgow Airport and London's West End.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In other words - if security chiefs had knowledge of a clear threat they could not contain, the level would already be one notch higher.</span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="line" height="2" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77189000/jpg/_77189503_line976.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mr Cameron said the murder of Mr Foley was "clear evidence - not that any more was needed - that this is not some far-off [problem], thousands of miles away, that we can ignore".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He did not give extensive details on what the changed threat level would mean, stressing people "should continue to go about our lives in the normal way".</span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Islamic State fighter waves flag from fighter jet at Tabqa air base. 27 Aug 2014" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77246000/jpg/_77246316_023650767.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Islamic State has released images of its fighters after taking over Tabqa air base in Syria</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mr Cameron said other measures to tackle the threat included:</span></div> <ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Emergency legislation to make communications data available to police and security services</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Working with the Kurds to make sure they had the arms needed to battle IS militants</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Assisting the US by providing intelligence gathering</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Delivering aid supplies to communities displaced by IS</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Changes in levels of policing in the UK, especially the numbers of armed police</span></li> </ul> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">More steps to deal with the threat would be announced on Monday, Mr Cameron said, which would include details on how to stop would-be terrorists travelling abroad.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said there were "gaps in our armoury" which needed to be strengthened.</span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">'Attacks against West'</span></span><br /> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Earlier, in a statement, Mrs May said: "The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Some of those plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"The first and most important duty of government is the protection of the British people."</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mrs May said decisions about the threat level were made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC).</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She added: "JTAC's judgements about that threat level are made on the basis of the very latest intelligence and are independent of ministers."</span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Increased patrols</span></span><br /> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">AC Rowley said: "From this afternoon we will begin to increase our levels of visible patrols and implement other security and protection measures.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We will also build on existing community relations to provide reassurance and seek their support and assistance in keeping the UK safe."</span></div> <div class="audioInStoryC" style="clear: both; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 304px;"> <div class="emp page-bookmark-link-aware" id="emp-28989630-73539" style="height: 115px; position: relative; width: 304px;"> <div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 115px; padding-bottom: 0px; position: relative; width: 304px; z-index: 999;"> <iframe frameborder="0" id="smphtml5iframeemp-28989630-73539" name="smphtml5iframeemp-28989630-73539" scrolling="no" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/releases/smp-html/player.html?1.3.14" style="height: 115px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 304px;"></iframe></div> </div> <div class="caption" style="clear: both; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pauline Neville-Jones, ex-chair of Joint Intelligence Committee: 'Threat level rise justified'</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He urged communities and families to report anyone who is "vulnerable, a danger or escalating towards terrorism" by calling the anti-terrorist hotline on <a href="tel:0800 789 321" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">0800 789 321</a>.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Baroness Neville-Jones, a former chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee, said the higher threat level was "justified", adding it was "not something you do for the sake of it".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government's decision to remove control orders - to restrict the movements of terror suspects - should be reconsidered, adding there should be "proper powers in place when there is an extreme threat".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She said the government needed to support communities, and families in particular, and that more could be done through its anti-terrorism Prevent scheme.</span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="A graph of the UK threat level over time" height="370" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77265000/gif/_77265642_threat.gif" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="625" /></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The terror threat level was made public in 2006.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The level last changed in July 2011 when it was reduced to "substantial".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The threat level in the US has not changed. US secretary for homeland security Jeh Johnson said he had spoken to Mrs May about changes to the UK threat level but that he was not aware of any "specific, credible" threat to the US.</span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="line" height="2" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77189000/jpg/_77189503_line976.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What is the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre?</strong></div> <ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) is the UK's independent body for assessing terrorist activity at home and abroad</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Created in 2003, it is based at the headquarters of the Security Service (MI5) at Thames House in central London</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It sets threat levels and issues warnings to ministers and government agencies</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Comprises counter-terrorism experts from the police and 16 government departments and agencies</span></li> <li style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.gif); background-position: -1200px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Works with the International Counter Terrorism Branch, which investigates terrorist activity in the UK, in its assessment of threat levels</span></li> <li style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"></li> </ul> </div>

UK terror threat level raised to 'severe'

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