Counter-terror police have record 700 live investigations

Senior Political correspondent

COUNTER-TERROR police and the intelligence services are running a record 700 live investigations, a police chief has said, as he admitted “very few” foreign fighters who returned from Syria have been prosecuted.

Speaking to MPS on the home affairs select committee, Asst Commissioner Neil Basu said the “big national security threat” came from hardened British nationals fighting in Syria, should they attempt to return to the UK.

Detailing terror investigations currently taking place, the national lead for counter-terror policing said around 80 per cent related to Islamist plots, while the remainder included extreme Right-wing conspiracies.

He said social media had helped spread extremism and added that the relative success of the Westminster terror attack “bred further attempts”.

Mr Basu told the committee his greatest concern remained “simple attacks on softer targets that are cheap to mount, easy to disguise and therefore harder to see and stop”.

Speaking about the threat from foreign fighters, he admitted that “very few returnees” had been successfully prosecuted due to a lack of evidence.

But he added: “A lot of people came back in the early days who had gone for reasons, they’re not my concern ... my real concern is the hardened terrorists who have been fighting and who are committed to that fight.

“Should they start to come back they are a huge concern, that is the big national security threat, we need to make sure we have good intelligence on those people.”

Calling for longer-term funding for the fight against terrorism, he said the battle was “entirely” dependent on well-resourced local police forces.

He said: “I would like to tell you that we are matched to the current threat, but the reality is we are not.

“We start from a position of strength: we have a national police, security service and government tripartite approach to countering terrorism honed over decades. It is world-class.

“But, matching the new threat requires new ways of working and for us to maintain our resources. We are working closely with the Home Office who have been supportive.”