UK main target for terrorists in Europe last year

MORE than 200 terrorist attacks were planned in Europe last year – with more than half aimed at targets in the UK.

Figures released by law enforcement agency Europol show there were 205 successful, foiled or failed attacks within the European Union in 2017. That was up 45 per cent from 142 plots in 2016.

Britain had by far the highest number with 107, but this included 88 securityrelated incidents in Northern Ireland mostly carried out by dissident Republicans.

UK terror plots which went ahead included the vehicle-and-knife rampages at Westminster and London Bridge in March and June, the suicide bombing at a Manchester pop concert in May, the vehicle attack at Finsbury Park Mosque in June and the attempted bombing at Parsons Green station in September.

Those five attacks killed 36 people and left more than 200 others injured.

Including those that were foiled or failed, there were 14 jihadist-related plots in the UK and five by white supremacists. Of the 88 separate incidents in Northern Ireland, 58 involved shootings and 30 had been bomb plots.

There were 975 arrests for terrorism-related offences across Europe, down from 1,002 in 2016. Around 70 per cent were for jihadist plots or incidents, including planning and preparing attacks or spreading propaganda and recruiting for or financing extremist groups.

Europol said jihadi plots had become more frequent but were less sophisticated.

They were more likely to involve knives or vehicles, making them harder to detect and prevent than bomb strikes and shootings.

Jihadis had a ‘preference for attacking people to provoke an emotional response from the general public’, said the report.

‘Symbols of Western lifestyle’, such as the Ariana Grande pop concert at Manchester Arena, were also key targets.

Most plotters were home-grown extremists radicalised in their own countries and new attacks were ‘highly likely’ despite the collapse of Islamic State in the Middle East.

A rise in Right-wing extremism in Europe had been ‘partly fuelled by fears of a perceived Islamisation of society and anxiety over migration’.

Sir Julian King, British European commissioner for security, said: ‘We need to strengthen our efforts at EU level to deny terrorists the means they need to carry out attacks.’

Earlier this month Home Secretary Sajid Javid unveiled plans to bolster the war on terror and keep the public safe. MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are to recruit up to 2,000 more spies to keep tabs on potential terrorists.