London, (Samajweekly) A security review warned that London is facing a rising threat of extreme right-wing terrorism, but is “significantly better prepared” for an attack than it was five years ago.
The review, commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, said there have been significant improvements in communication and coordination between the British capital’s emergency services and partner agencies to ensure the city is better prepared to respond to an attack, reports Xinhua news agency.
In his recommendations, Toby Harris, who headed the review, warned that the UK must be prepared to consider the possibility of terrorist deployment of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, and ensure emergency services are equipped and trained to respond.
Harris said cuts to police numbers over the last decade and cuts in other key services “potentially hampers London’s capacity to react to terrorist incidents” and are “short-sighted”.
Khan called on the British government to support City Hall in taking action to mitigate new risks identified in the Harris review.
The UK’s current terrorism threat level is “substantial”, meaning a terrorist attack is likely.
