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TERROR NET SPREADS

Police arrest more than one suspected terrorist every day after wave of ISIS attacks

A total of 379 suspected terrorists were arrested in the year ending June 2017

Manchester Arena

MORE than one alleged terrorist is being arrested every day as the number of suspects has soared to a record high, it emerged today.

A total of 379 people were held on suspicion of terror-related crimes in the year to June - more than one every day.

Manchester Arena
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Attacks including the assault on Manchester Arena, pictured, have driven a spike in terror arrestsCredit: London News Pictures

The figures have soared by 68 per cent since last year, reaching the highest level since records began.

The Home Office stats include 56 arrests related to the fatal attacks on Westminster, Manchester Arena and London Bridge.

Of the 379 people arrested, just one third were charged with a crime, with the rest being set free or released on bail.

62 terrorists were convicted over the course of the year, with nine suspects being found not guilty after a trial.

graph
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This graph shows how the number of terror arrests has been rising in recent years

The stats showed that an increasing proportion of terror suspects are now from white backgrounds.

One third of those arrested were white, with nearly have being from an Asian ethnicity.

54 of the suspects were women, the figures revealed - a record 14 per cent.

As well as the ISIS-inspired assaults on London and Manchester, there are concerns about a spike in far-right extremism.

Khalid Masood
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 Khalid Masood attacked Westminster Bridge and Parliament in MarchCredit: PA:Press Association

A right-wing terrorism killed a man during an attack on Finsbury Park mosque in June this year.

The police are currently investigating 3,000 individuals on suspicion of terroism.

Another 20,000 people are classed as "subjects of interest" who are being monitored by the authorities.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said: "The figures released today show the tireless efforts of the police, Security Service and Crown Prosecution Service during what was an unprecedented period of terrorist activity in the UK.

"Everyone has a role to play in identifying and stopping the threat terrorists pose to the UK.

"This is why we are reviewing our counter-terrorism strategy to ensure the authorities have the powers they need now, and in the future, to halt terrorist activity."

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