Set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the Security Service (MI5), the UK’s terrorism threat level indicates the likelihood of an attack in the UK.
The system was first made public in 2006, a year after the London 7/7 bombings which killed 52 people.
In September 2010, the government began publishing a separate terror level specifically for Northern Ireland-related threats.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, who is a senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, explained at a Scotland Yard briefing: “I use the word smouldering really, because we have some really deep, dark hot spots, some pockets where we cannot leave the activity and the groups unattended, and we need to continue to maintain our focus on them to keep the threat at bay.”
Here’s what the UK’s current terrorism threat level is and how the system works.
What is the UK’s terror threat level?
The current threat level is ‘substantial’ across the UK, as is the threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism, according to the government website.
‘Substantial’ is the third of five possible threat levels. They are:
- low – an attack is highly unlikely
- moderate – an attack is possible but not likely
- substantial – an attack is likely
- severe – an attack is highly likely
- critical – an attack is highly likely in the near future
Will the UK’s terror threat level change?
The terror level can be changed at any time, and has previously been altered after significant events on UK shores.
The blast saw a man travelling in a taxi detonate a homemade bomb shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday. The man died in the blast but taxi driver David Perry survived.