London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Seven 'late-stage' terrorist attacks foiled during pandemic – police

Seven 'late-stage' terrorist attacks foiled during pandemic – police

The UK's Counter-Terrorism Policing (CTP) unit has said it foiled seven "late-stage" attacks since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report comes after the country recently saw two attacks within weeks of each other.
In a press release on Thursday, the CTP claimed to have diverted a total of 32 “late-stage” planned terrorism incidents since March 2017, seven of which took place after the start of the pandemic. The cases were most commonly linked with Islamic extremism (18), extreme right-wing terrorism (12), and left/anarchist/single issue terrorism (2), according to the agency's statistics.

Senior National Coordinator for CTP Dean Haydon acknowledged that the UK had recently “suffered two terror attacks in quick succession”, and warned of an ongoing “sustained and high tempo threat” heading into the “festive period”. He also urged the public to do their part lest the nation's children become radicalized.

“We are very concerned that children are becoming an increasing proportion of our arrests,” he added.

Though the overall arrest rate has actually declined given the Covid lockdowns that kept most of the British public indoors, 25 children were taken into custody since March 2020 in connection with terrorism offenses. That figure nevertheless represents the largest number of kids jailed in any 12-month period, according to the CTP report.

It's not clear if this is due to more anti-terrorism investigations being conducted against under-18s or if that group has actually become more of a threat. However, the boss of MI5 acknowledged earlier this year that agents were now investigating teens as young as 13.

Beyond the seven incidents mentioned in the Thursday report as having been thwarted by police, the UK suffered two fatal terrorist attacks in recent months. In October, Tory MP David Amess was stabbed to death by a man who had reportedly been plotting to kill a lawmaker for years and considered himself affiliated with the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group.

Last month, a man hired a taxi and blew himself up using an improvised explosive device outside Liverpool Women's Hospital. The taxi driver managed to escape the vehicle with minor injuries.

Following the Liverpool attack, the government raised its terrorism threat level to “Severe.” Such a designation means an attack is “highly likely,” the CTP reminded the public, urging them not to “let their guard drop” over the holidays.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×