IN his first major statement after the Streatham attack, Britain's counter-terrorism chief backed the government’s plan to end automatic early release of terror convicts.
“With 3,000 or so subjects of interest currently on our radar and many convicted terrorists soon due to be released from prison, we simply cannot watch all of them all the time,” Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu told the Evening Standard.
“Part of the solution must be ensuring those who pose the greatest threat to our society are removed from it, and so my colleagues and I are supportive of the government's plans to strengthen our ability to keep the most dangerous terrorists locked up for longer,” he said.
Basu added that officers were engaged in an uphill task as the threat of terrorism was “not diminishing”, and asked the public to remain vigilant. The UK's terror threat level, he said, was set at “substantial”.
'We need people to trust their instincts and trust us with that information, and not just signs of suspicious activity or behaviour,” he said.
“That means vigilance wherever you go. Sunday's incident is proof that attacks can happen anywhere, and at any time.”
Praising the “quick reactions” of the covert officers who shot down Streatham attacker Sudesh Amman, Basu said: “They exemplified the courage and sense of duty that our officers have shown time and time again in their efforts to protect the public from the terrorist threat.”
The officers “calmly ran forward” and prevented more casualties, he added. A team of about 20 officers had been monitoring Amman since his release from the Belmarsh prison a week earlier.
Basu said all “all parts of the system” should be responsible in curbing terrorism and “that includes communities themselves”.
“We need your help to stop vulnerable people from being drawn down the path that leads to the awful violence we saw on Sunday,” he added.
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds tour the Royal Opera House in London
