The UK terrorism threat level has been reduced from "severe" to "substantial", bringing it back to the level it was in November.
Home Secretary Priti Patel announced there has been a "significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe since those seen between September and November 2020".
But she said the new alert "continues to indicate a high level of threat, and an attack on the UK is still likely."
The decision was made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre on Thursday, Ms Patel said.
The "substantial" level is the middle of five levels of terror threat. According to MI5, they are:
- LOW means an attack is highly unlikely
- MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely
- SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is likely
- SEVERE means an attack is highly likely
- CRITICAL means an attack is highly likely in the near future
The decision is based on available intelligence, terrorist capability and intentions, and the timescale of any possible attack.
The threat level was raised to severe by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) in November following Islamist attacks in Austria and France.
But on Thursday last week the expert analysts reduced the level, Ms Patel told MPs today.
Ms Patel said: "JTAC keep the threat level under constant review and conduct a formal review every six months.
"This is a systematic, comprehensive and rigorous process, based on the very latest intelligence and analysis of internal and external factors which drive the threat.
|The decision to lower the threat level from SEVERE to SUBSTANTIAL is due to the significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe since those seen between September and November 2020.
"However, the UK national threat level is kept under constant review and is subject to change at any time."
