Concerns have been raised as to whether the UK has sufficient resources to respond to an act of terrorism outside of London amid a tip-off from a “friendly” intelligence agency sparked fears of an attack in European cities, including in Britain, on New Year’s Eve.
“Four dedicated regional armed police units” could be set up to respond to a terrorist-related incident in other areas of Britain, according to The Telegraph.
The Home Secretary Theresa May has reportedly been in meetings with senior counter terror officers, planning to have units ready 24 hours a day.
There are also proposals to have trained officers ready to be seconded from other duties in the event of a terror-related incident.
Concerns regarding the preparedness of the UK outside London have also come from inside the police. One source told the Observer: “Ask a regional force how long it would take them to respond to a terror attack and watch them squirm.”
Andy Burnham, the Shadow Home Secretary, has said: “It is essential that all our major cities have 24/7 protection from attack. If this is true, it suggests there are worrying gaps in our ability to respond.”
The terrorist threat level to the UK remains ‘severe’ and security services reportedly thwarted at least seven terrorist attempts to attack the UK in 2015.
