MI5 reduces threat level from Northern Irish terrorism

The level of threat to the UK from Northern-Ireland-related terrorism reduced
It was downgraded to moderate, meaning attacks are ‘possible but not likely’
Home Secretary said the threat from international terrorism remains severe

By Richard Spillett for MailOnline

Published: 11:03 GMT, 1 March 2018 | Updated: 11:59 GMT, 1 March 2018

MI5 has reduced the threat level to Great Britain from Northern Ireland-related terrorism from substantial to moderate.

The security agency downgraded its threat level to the second-lowest level, which means an attack is ‘possible but not likely’.

The threat to the UK from international terrorism, including Islamic extremism, remains ‘severe’, meaning an attack is highly likely.

British security services today downgraded the threat level Northern Ireland-related terrorism. Pictured: A mural on the Derrybeg Housing Estate, Newry

Announcing the change in a written statement to Parliament, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: ‘Despite the change which has been made today, there remains a real and serious threat against the United Kingdom from terrorism and I would ask the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the police regardless of the threat level.

‘The decision to change this threat level is taken by the Security Service independently of ministers and is based on the very latest intelligence, considering factors such as capability, intent and timescale. Threat levels are kept under constant review.

‘The threat level to the UK from international terrorism remains at severe, and the threat level to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism also remains at severe, meaning that an attack is highly likely.

‘Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack. They are a tool for security practitioners working across different sectors and the police to use in determining what protective security response may be required.

‘They also keep the public informed and give context to the protective security measures encountered every day.’

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the public should remain vigilant despite the downgrad

What are the UK’s terror threat levels and what do they mean?

There are five possible terror threat levels, from low to critical.

MI5 sets levels for the threat from international terrorism, including ISIS-inspired Islamic extremism, and for Northern Ireland-related terrorism.

The five levels are:

Low means an attack is unlikely.
Moderate means an attack is possible, but not likely
Substantial means an attack is a strong possibility
Severe means an attack is highly likely
Critical means an attack is expected imminently

The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is severe.

The threat level for Northern Ireland-related terrorism within Northern Ireland is severe. Today the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Britain was set at moderate.

The idea of different threat levels was introduced for international terrorism in 2006. It has since been changed 12 times, between substantial, severe and critical.

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