UK terrorism threat level reduced from severe to substantial

Britain’s national terrorism threat level has been reduced from severe to substantial, interior minister Priti Patel said in a written statement to parliament.

The change means an attack is considered likely rather than highly likely.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) had classified the risk as severe following two terrorist attacks in quick succession, in October and November 2021.

On Wednesday, Patel said: “JTAC judges that, despite these two attacks, the current nature and scale of the UK terrorist threat is consistent with the level of threat seen prior to the attacks.”

“The attacks in October and November 2021 reflect the complex, volatile, and unpredictable nature of the terrorist threat in the UK.”

Reporting by William James; editing by Guy Faulconbridge

Photo – An armed policeman secures the area of an incident after a man has been shot by armed police at a street in Streatham, London, Britain. EPA-EFE/STR