Terror threat of far-Right ‘is growing’

THE threat of neo-Nazi terror attacks in Britain is ‘considerable’ and growing, an official report has warned.

Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of terror laws, said the spate of Islamist terror attacks in the UK had triggered a ‘reaction’ from hard-Right extremists.

In his annual report, Mr Hill wrote: ‘The threat we face from extreme Right-wing terrorism is considerable, and … it has grown in reaction to the terrorist atrocities on Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and at Manchester Arena.

‘Terrorism takes many forms. Extreme Right-wing ideology breeds terrorism, and must be dealt with comprehensively.’

He pointed to the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in June 2016 and the Home Office ban on extreme Right- wing group National Action and said there was a threat of ‘violence and terrorism’. Two members of National Action were jailed in July for belonging to the group.

Mr Hill pointed to official figures showing increases in race and religious hate crimes, particularly in the wake of terror attacks. There have also been rises in antiSemitic and Islamophobic incidents.

The number of race hate crimes increased by 13,266 to 62,685, a rise of 27 per cent in the year to 2016/17. In the same period, religious hate crime increased by 1,549, or 35 per cent, to 5,949 offences.

He also warned police over the use of counter terrorism powers, warning that Muslim communities were ‘traumatised’ by the large scale investigation into the Manchester Arena bomb plot.