How serious is the threat to the UK from terrorism at the moment?
It is difficult to quantify, but in a lecture in April this year, DAC Clarke dismissed claims that the threat is overblown and manipulated by politicians. He said more than 100 people were awaiting trial for terrorist offences. Around the same time, there were reports the court system was under strain from the number of the terror cases it was required to hear. DAC Clarke said last summer that four major plots have been disrupted since the July 7 bombings, including one involving poison. In his April lecture, he said al-Qaida had “momentum” and retained the ability to order devastating attacks on Britain. He repeated warnings that another attack on the UK was highly likely. As Guardian crime correspondent Sandra Laville writes today, the police have identified some 250 high-risk suspects and around 700 medium-risk suspects. The tricky issue is how to use surveillance resources – deciding who to watch. Officers also know that tactics could change.
