The UK’s terror threat level has been raised from severe to critical, meaning a terrorist attack is considered imminent.
Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement in a live television statement from Downing Street where she also announced that the Army will be deployed on the streets of Britain.
This is only the third time ever that the terror threat level has reached critical and comes because authorities have been unable to say for certain that the perpetrator of the Manchester Arena attack, in which 22 people were killed and 59 others injured, was working alone.
Raising the level to critical means that military personnel could be deployed to support armed police officers at large public events such as concerts and football matches and is part of a plan known as Operation Temperer.
Theresa May said, “It is a possibility that we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack,”
“The change in the threat level means there will be additional support available to the police as they work to keep us safe,” she said.
“Operation Temperer is now in force.”
Theresa also added, “The spirit of Manchester and the spirit of Britain is far mightier than the sick plots of depraved terrorists.
“That is why the terrorists will never win and we will prevail.”
