Nine UK terrorist plots thwarted

A total of nine Islamist terrorist plots have been thwarted in the UK over the past year, the director general of MI5 has told the Cabinet.

Andrew Parker told Prime Minister Theresa May and her senior ministers that the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria did not mean the terrorist threat was over, warning that social media was being used to encourage attacks in the UK and elsewhere.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the weekly meeting in 10 Downing Street that the pace of attack planning has increased “significantly” over the past year.

Ms Rudd also outlined the terrorism threat facing the UK, saying there was “simply more terrorist activity” which had been partly inspired by more terrorist propaganda and instruction videos online.

“Plots are developing more quickly from radicalisation to attack, and threats are becoming harder to detect,” said the Home Secretary.

Ms Rudd added: “MI5 and counter-terrorism policing are currently running well over 500 live operations, a third up since the beginning of the year, involving roughly 3,000 subjects of interest.”