Met deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said a ‘very significant policing operation’ is in place with officers patrolling vulnerable locations in the UK.

The Met Police is braced for a UK terror attack after the Israel-Gaza crisis sparked a risk of violence in Britain. Met deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said a ‘very significant policing operation’ is in place with officers patrolling vulnerable locations in the UK.

He told journalists yesterday: “For the moment we are doing largely reassurance and protective security patrols but it would, of course, be absolutely remiss of us not to be working in the background from the counter terrorism policing perspective to understand should there be any increased threats.”

But Mr Taylor added that there had been no increase in the UK threat level which remains at “substantial” – meaning an attack is likely. The DAC said that the UK counter terrorism network is looking into risks after Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate from Gaza and Hamas terrorists called on sympathisers to engage in a “day of jihad”.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “When it comes to tackling the use of the internet to further terrorism, support from the public is essential. Following last week’s horrific terrorist attack by Hamas, and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has led to significant concern in communities in London and across the country, I want to thank the public for helping us by reporting potential terrorist content online to our Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU).

“These referrals have already made a significant impact and we are currently reviewing 55 cases. They will also enable Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) to work with tech companies to remove content assessed to breach UK terrorism legislation, making the internet less permissive for terrorists and safer for those in our communities who may be vulnerable to radicalisation. They can also lead to investigations being launched into those in the UK who are suspected of breaching UK terrorism legislation through their online conduct.”

Source: Birmingham News