Extremists who cannot make it to Middle East ‘will attack UK instead’

 Extremists unable to reach the Middle East to fight for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) could instead be preparing attacks in the UK, the Director of Public Prosecutions has warned.

Alison Saunders said that authorities needed to be “very aware” of the risk posed by those who have been thwarted in their attempts to travel abroad so instead may be focusing on actions in Britain, either plotting attacks or radicalising others.

Her comments came as it emerged that 109 people had been convicted in the UK for Iraq and Syria-related terrorism, but 85 per cent had never set foot in either country.

Ms Saunders told the BBC, which compiled the figures: “We need to be acutely aware that if people can’t go to Syria – and we have certainly seen this in some of the cases we have prosecuted – they may plan an attack here instead, or they may do more to radicalise other people to attack.”

As a result, the “type of prosecutions” that occur in the UK are likely to change, she added. The UK has seen three Isil-inspired terror attacks in recent months, including the Manchester Arena bombing.

The warning comes after Isil called for those who could not join the battlefield to launch attacks in Britain.