UK ‘has the most Islamic extremists in Europe’

BRITAIN has more Muslim extremists than any other European country, a leading security chief has claimed.

Gilles de Kerchove, EU counter-terror co-ordinator said the UK was home to 35,000 Islamists, of whom 3,000 are ‘worrying’ for MI5.

He also warned that Islamic State will attempt a cyber attack on nuclear power stations or air traffic control systems within five years – possibly by paying Russian hackers.

The official, who is in regular contact with security services and governments around Europe, said: ‘The UK has identified 20,000 to 35,000 radicals. Of these, 3,000 are worrying for MI5, and of those 500 are under constant and special attention.

‘France has 17,000. Spain many less, but more than 5,000 … In Belgium almost 500 have been to Syria and there are around 2,000 radicals or more.’

Mr de Kerchove told Spain’s El Mundo newspaper the most worrying fanatics ‘should be monitored 24 hours a day’.

He warned IS propaganda meant followers no longer needed to go to Syria as ‘they can attack in their places of origin, including on a small scale with home-made weapons’.