UK terror arrests rocket over past 12 months during year of attacks

KEY POINTS

213 people in jail for terrorism-related offences, an increase of 26% over last year.
More than half of those arrested later released without charge.

A record 400 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences in the past year, nearly double the amount of the previous year.

According to Home Office figures, the number of arrests in the year ending 30 September 2017 increased by 54% compared with 259 arrests in 2015/6.

These arrests include a total of 79 people who were questioned in connection with the terror attacks at London Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Finsbury Park mosque, the Manchester Arena and Parsons Green tube station.

Of the 400 people arrested, 213 (53%) were released without charge, 60 (15%) were released on bail pending further investigation, 11 (3%) faced alternative action, and one case was still pending at the time of data provision.

The Home Office said that by 30 September 2017, 97 people had been charged with terror-related offences, of whom 30 were found guilty and 65 were still awaiting prosecution.

Elsewhere, figures show that there were 213 people in British jails for committing terrorism-related offences, an increase of 26% on the 169 people in custody in the previous year.

Of those in custody, 88% hold Islamist extremist views, 8% follow far right-wing ideologies, with the remaining 5% holding other ideologies.

Security minister Ben Wallace said the figures reveal how the Uk is facing "a shift rather than a short-term spike in the terrorist threat".

He added: "The statistics we are publishing today demonstrate the breadth of work that they undertake, alongside the rest of the criminal justice system, day in and day out to keep us safe. But this is not the totality of our work. The whole of society must come together to challenge the terrorist threat.

"The public must remain alert but not alarmed and report any suspicions they have about unusual activity or behaviour to the appropriate authorities.

"Furthermore, the Government is reviewing its counter-terrorism strategy in light of recent attacks to ensure we meet the threat from terrorism now and in the future."