Number of terror related arrests increases by 57 per cent

The number of terrorist suspects arrested has risen by 57 per cent in the last three years, according to Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner. Data shows that of this figure, half are charged, with 77 per cent of those arrested being British nationals, 14 per cent of which are female and 13 per cent under the age of 20. Rowley noted the number of girls and women and the number of teenagers being convicted of terror related activities was a new trend. He said: “That would not have been the picture that one would have seen a few years ago. That is an indication of that radicalisation, the effect of the propaganda and the way the messages of ISIL are resonating with some individuals.” According to Scotland Yard, it has seen over 20 families and around 50 young people go through family court proceedings regarding concerns about radicalisation in the past year. Police are also starting to utilise trained psychologists to provide advice about how to manage people who are at risk of becoming radicalised. In addition, Rowley claimed that ISIL’s strategy had somewhat changed compared to previous years, transforming from attacking police and the military to broader assaults on the ‘Western lifestyle’. He said: "In recent months we've seen much more plans to attack Western lifestyle, and obviously the Paris attacks in November. Going from that narrow focus on police and military as symbols of the state to something much broader. And you see a terrorist group which has big ambitions for enormous and spectacular attacks, not just the types that we've seen foiled to date."