The government has raised the terrorist threat level in the UK from substantial to severe – just second to the highest level.

The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West. Some of these plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled from the UK

As part of the UK's wider counter terrorism strategy, police are engaging with businesses and communities in a variety of ways to counter the threat from terrorism.

Businesses should take this opportunity to review their security stance and business continuity plans to ensure that they are reflective of this threat level increase. They may wish to consider within this review what extra security measures may be proportionate or necessary.

The following five threat levels indicate the likelihood of a terrorist attack in the UK:

• low - an attack is unlikely
• moderate - an attack is possible but not likely
• substantial - an attack is a strong possibility
• severe - an attack is highly likely
• critical - an attack is expected imminently

The current threat level is set separately for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In mainland Britain, the threat level is severe from international terrorism and moderate from Northern Ireland-related terrorism. In Northern Ireland, the threat level is substantial from international terrorism and severe from Northern Ireland-related terrorism.

Set by MI5, threat levels don’t have an expiry date, and can change at any time.

Share Story: