Christmas shoppers ‘must be ‘vigilant’ as ’emboldened’ maniac terrorists may carry out more sick attacks on UK streets’
CHRISTMAS shoppers have been warned to be "vigilant" to further terrorist attacks as other extremists may be "emboldened" by the two incidents in recent weeks.
The UK's terror threat level was raised to severe this week following the Liverpool car bomb plot - just weeks after the murder of Tory MP Sir David Amess.
Now, the head of the UK's Counter-Terrorism Policing, Met Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, has warned about the risk of copycat attackers striking.
"We have now seen two terror incidents take place on our streets in the last four weeks, and recent experience tells us that this can embolden other extremists to plan and carry out their own attacks," he said.
“Just as we enter the first busy festive period since the start of the pandemic, the terror threat level has been raised to SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely.
“I know that will concern people, but policing is stepping up our activity to protect the UK. It also means that we need the public to do the same - by being more vigilant and trusting us with their concerns.
“I want people to understand they have a very real impact on the way our police, security and intelligence services fight terrorism.
“In the last year, Counter Terrorism Policing received around 10,000 reports from the public about suspected terrorist activity – of those, a fifth provided useful intelligence which helps our investigations, and potentially save lives.
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“Attacks can take many forms, as can suspicious behaviour. If someone’s behaviour seems out of place, trust your instincts and tell us. You will not be ignored, and you can make a real difference.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Monday that Britian's threat level has been raised to severe - meaning another attack is seen as "highly likely".
She said: "The Joint Terror Analysis Centre are now increasing the UK's threat level from substantial to severe.
"There's a reason for that and that reason is because what we saw yesterday is the second incident in a month now.
"Of course that means we continue to work with our world-class security intelligence and policing services.
"There's a live investigation taking place now - they will need the time, the space to do the work that they're doing in terms of investigating the incident."
Brave Dave Perry leapt from the car and locked the doors as a device exploded outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Sunday - killing only terrorist Emad Al Swealmeen who carried the bomb.
'SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES'
Shocking footage showed the exact moment the car exploded, before the stunned cabbie was seen running from the blast.
Today, police found "several suspicious packages" after raiding a pub and asylum hostel linked to the Liverpool bomber.
The bomb squad sealed off an address linked to terrorist Emad Al-Swealmeen, on Sutcliffe Street before extending it to Boaler Street in the city this afternoon.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said that Iraq-born Al Swealmeen had rented a property in Liverpool seven months ago and had started making "relevant purchases" for his homemade bomb "at least" since that time.
In an update issued earlier today, Mr Jackson said: "A complex picture is emerging over the purchases of the component parts of the device.
"We know that Al Swealmeen rented the property from April this year and we believe relevant purchases have been made at least since that time.
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"We have now traced a next of kin for Al Swealmeen who has informed us that he was born in Iraq."
He added that the 32-year-old asylum seeker had suffered from periods of mental illness that will "form part of the investigation and will take some time to fully understand".
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