Great Britain lowers its terror threat level

• “Substantial” terror threat level means a terrorist attack is “likely”
• Terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks for UK
• UK government, police and intelligence agencies continue to work tirelessly to address the threat posed by terrorism

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UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announced today that Great Britain‘s terror threat level has dropped from “severe” to “substantial”.

British Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) had dropped UK’s five-level terrorism threat level from the fourth-highest to the third-highest level, Patel said in a written statement to the British parliament.

The decision came thanks to “the significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe since those seen between September and November” last year, she said.

However, “terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks to our national security,” the home secretary said.

Terror threat level at “substantial” means a terrorist attack is “likely”.

“The public should continue to remain vigilant and report any concerns to the police,” said Patel.

“The (British) government, police and intelligence agencies continue to work tirelessly to address the threat posed by terrorism in all its forms and the threat level remains under constant review,” she added.

On November 3, 2020, Britain raised its terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe”, meaning an attack is highly likely.

The move came after four people were killed in a shooting by a suspected terrorist in Austrian capital Vienna and three people died after a knife attack in Nice, France.

The “severe” level, the second-highest level with only “critical” above it, was reached in May 2017 after the Manchester Arena bombing, in which 22 people, including a number of children, were killed and hundreds injured.