Far-right extremism to be included in official terror warnings alongside Islamist threat for first time, government announces

The growing threat from “extreme right-wing” terrorism will be included in official threat-level warnings for the first time, the home secretary has announced.

Until now, the alerts – which tell the public if the risk is low, substantial or critical – have taken into account the threat of attack from Islamists only.

The change follows growing recognition of the rising threat from the far-right, since the murder of 50 Muslims in Christchurch, in New Zealand, in March.

In March, it emerged that four of the 18 terrorist plots that had been thwarted in the UK in the preceding three years had come from the far-right

Sajid Javid, the home secretary, also announced a change to the definitions of the risk to “ensure clarity in the threat level system”.

Two further levels will be added – moderate, between low and substantial, and severe, between substantial and critical – to make five in total.

However, the additions do not affect the current threat level, which remains at severe – meaning “an attack is highly likely”.

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