Everyone has to be vigilant

THE relative terrorism calm of the lockdown is well and truly over.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre’s raising of the terrorism threat level was not done lightly.

We may never know the target for this bomb as the culprit is dead but it’s surely too much of a coincidence that it detonated in a taxi at Liverpool Woman’s Hospital, at 11am on Remembrance Sunday, a stone’s throw from Liverpool Cathedral.

Counter Terrorism Command will want to know are there other bombers out there with bombs ready to go? And who made the bomb and where is the bomb factory?

Our democracy is hopeless at defending its people against the threat of terrorism, the justice system ineffectual.

Sentences are too short and prisoners are not being deradicalised. They are radicalising others and are soon back on our streets.

The numbers of “people of interest” to the Counter Terrorism Command grows each year. We are asking them to keep us safe while giving them an impossible job.

Lockdown has allowed an unknown number of people to radicalise themselves on the internet out of the sight of teachers, doctors and others who in normal times would report their concerns.

We face a threat that is more diffuse, more complicated and more unpredictable than ever.

A few weeks ago the murder of Sir David Amess, above, rightly made us focus on the security of MPs but the real threat is much bigger.

This incident shows people are ready to use explosives to kill and maim. Explosives are a much scarier prospect than knives or even guns.

After the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017 the Government is consulting on Protect Duty to force businesses to assess terrorism risk.

But so many firms have the “It will never happen here” attitude which is just not good enough any more. This duty must be implemented urgently.

It appears cabbie David Perry may have saved many lives. He was vigilant. We need to follow his lead.