Stopping terrorists is like ‘finding needle in a haystack’, Sir Mark Rowley says

‘Tens of thousands’ of people on security services’ radar could pose a threat, Met chief says

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was previously the head of the UK’s counterterrorism policing unit (PA Wire)

Spotting terrorists who could attack Britain is like finding a “needle in a haystack”, Britain’s most senior police officer has warned.

Sir Mark Rowley said tens of thousands of people had come onto the security services’ radar and may just need a “spark to act”.

In an interview featured in an upcoming book by The Independent’s home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden, he added: “The ones who are going to go from passive supporters [of terrorism], doing nothing illegal, through to acting on it is a small number. Spotting that small number in those tens of thousands is the needle in a haystack.”