Terror attack on the UK 'highly likely' says Theresa May after Nice killings

The government will look to give funding and new powers to the police to head off a similar attack in the UK

Andrew Griffin
Friday 15 July 2016 11:12 BST
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May 'shocked' by Nice attack

A terrorist attack in the UK is "highly likely", Theresa May has said after the attack in Nice.

People in Britain should not expect that attacks that have happened in Belgium, France and elsewhere could not come to the UK, the new Prime Minister said. New powers and funding for police would be given to police to try and fight that thread, Mrs May said.

The threat of an attack remains "severe", Mrs May said in her first speech after the Nice attacks that claimed at least 84 lives.

World condems Nice attack

That means that the threat is just one below "critical", when an attack is expected imminently, in the five-point threat scale that is used by the security services and Government.

The threat from international terrorism has been "severe" since 2014, when it was upgraded from "substantial".

Mrs May condemned the "horrifying" attack that killed 84 people.

The new Prime Minister said Britain must redouble its efforts to defeat "brutal" terrorist "murderers", and has called a meeting of senior officials in the Government's emergency Cobra committee.

"The threat level here in the United Kingdom is already at severe - that means that a terrorist attack is highly likely," the PM said.

"Senior officials today will be reviewing what more we can do to ascertain whether there is any further action we need to take.

"But our security services and our police are ever-vigilant and, as I say, the threat level here is already at a level which says that a terrorist attack is highly likely."

Mrs May went on: "The Government is already making more funding available for the security services which will enable them to increase their efforts.

"It's also making more funding available to the police for counter-terrorism policing.

"Of course we always look at these issues - we have been living with a severe threat level for some time now - but today our thoughts must be with those people in France, with the people of France, and all those who have lost their loved ones or have been injured in this attack."

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