Britain’s terror threat ‘highest since 9/11’ as insider warns of ‘real risk’

BRITAIN’S terror threat is now at the highest since 9/11, a security insider has warned.

The expert has warned there is a “real risk” of co-ordinated terrorist action or of a lone outsider carrying out an isolated attack on these shores.

They also warned of record levels of “chatter” between extremists intercepted by spies which were at their highest levels since the September 11 terror attacks in the US.

Politicians have also been informed that the Israel-Hamas war has been used as a “recruitment advert” by terror groups around the world.

It is also understood security officials fear the possibility of a rise in extremist activity during the month of Ramadan in the Muslim world, which starts next Sunday.

One MP with knowledge of the latest briefings told the Daily Mail: “The level of extremist chatter is off the scale. This is something they’ve seen growing and growing.”

They added: “It’s like when the Twin Towers came down in 2001, there was a big spike of hate.”

The warning comes in the wake of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech outside Downing Street where he warned there are “forces” which are ready to tear the country apart with their “hateful ideological agenda”.

In his speech on March 1, Mr Sunak singled out Islamist extremists and the far right who he said were desperate to set “Briton against Briton”.

He urged Britain to “stand up for our shared values”.

Mr Sunak also slammed the recent by-election in Rochdale, declaring it “beyond alarming” that former Labour MP George Galloway secured victory.

He said: “Islamist extremists and far-right groups are spreading a poison: that poison is extremism.

“It aims to drain us of our confidence in ourselves as a people, and in our shared future.”

Former Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick has also warned today that the police and intelligence services are too “stretched” to deal with the “cancer of Islamist extremism”.

He wrote in an article for The Mail on Sunday: “Despite the rise in far-Right activity, the threat still overwhelmingly comes from Islamists.”

There is a high chance of both a 7/7-style attack or a lone fired-up attacker like Lee Rigby’s killers

A security expert

MPs have reportedly held a number of confidential meetings with MPs since December regarding the increase in “chatter” about potential plots.

A source told the paper: “There is a high chance of both a 7/7-style attack or a lone fired-up attacker like Lee Rigby‘s killers.”

Soldier Mr Rigby, who was off-duty at the time was murdered in south east London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale in 2013.

London’s transport system came under a co-ordinated attack on July 7, 2005, killing 39 people.

‘GENERATIONAL RADICALISATION’

Another insider has warned as well as the risk of an immediate attack, there were also fears in the medium term over “generational radicalisation”.

Security officials are also said to have warned that young British Muslims were particularly prone to being drawn into extremism following the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel‘s response.

A senior Conservative told the paper that “groups will be finding it easier to fundraise, recruit and be excused for their actions” because of the Gaza war.

Currently, the country’s terrorism threat level is “substantial” – the third highest state of alert, indicating an attack is likely.

I haven’t seen this level of open extremism out there since I was appointed in my role in 2019

Jonathan Hall KC

Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, will next week ask ministers why the level has not been raised.

She said: “Following the heinous crimes against humanity committed by Hamas, and the manner in which Israel has prosecuted its war against them, there can be no doubt that the risk of terrorism globally has escalated gravely.

“I am surprised the national threat level has not been raised.”

Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of counter-terrorism legislation, said last night: “I haven’t seen this level of open extremism out there since I was appointed in my role in 2019.

“It is the public brazenness of hate directed towards people by category, in particular Zionists, or Israelis, or Jews.”

He said extremists see the UK as a legitimate target because it is allied with Israel and the US.

Mr Hall also saw the rise in aggressive threats made towards politicians as being part of the same problem.

He said: “The stuff directed against MPs is not simply hate – they are threats of murder and rape.”

Head of MI5 Ken McCallum has previously warned the atrocities carried out by Hamas on October 7 could be the trigger for terror attacks in the UK.

He said: “Terrorists can draw inspiration not just from things they see happening inside the UK but things they see happening in the Middle East or on the continent or elsewhere.”

The last time Britain’s threat level was raised to critical – the highest level – was on September 15, 2017, following the Parsons Green bombing on the London Underground by Ahmed Hassan.

It was reduced to “severe” two days later.

The level was also raised to critical in the wake of the Manchester Arena suicide bombing, which killed 22 people, the same year.

Reports say there were “discussions” to raise the threat again last November.

Last month, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the country’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, said the Gaza crisis had fuelled a 25 per cent increase in intelligence coming in to counter-terrorism officers.

Since the atrocities on October 7, the Met has made at least 33 arrests for terrorism offences of which seven have been charged.