Counter Terror Business - UK

CTP join Derby incident investigation

Polly Jones — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:34:11 +0000

Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing are supporting Derbyshire Constabulary with the investigation into an incident were a car was driven at pedestrians in Derby.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after pedestrians were hit by a black Suzuki Swift in Friar Gate at about 9.30pm on Saturday 28 March.

Seven people were injured, four men and three women aged between 36 and 52, some seriously, though none have life-threatening injuries. Three have now been discharged from hospital

A 36-year-old Derby man, who was originally from India, but had lived in the UK for a number of years has been arrested. He remains in custody and police have been given more time to question him.

Counter Terrorism Policing colleagues are assisting with the investigation, which is being led by Derbyshire detectives. This is common practice for an incident of this nature. Detectives are keeping an open mind about motive and the incident is not being treated as terrorism.

Chief Superintendent Emma Aldred said: “I’d like to reiterate my well wishes to all the victims in this case as they begin their recovery supported by specialist officers.

“I also want to thank the eyewitnesses whose reports allowed us to make an arrest just minutes after this incident happened.

“The response to this incident was a multi-agency one and we are continuing to work closely with partners and local businesses. I’d like to thank them for all of their support.

“Detectives are continuing to question the arrested man and have been carrying out extensive enquiries over the last couple of days.

“While I understand that there is significant interest in the circumstances of this case, at this time it is extremely important that we maintain the integrity of the investigation to ensure that it is as thorough and proportionate as the public would expect.

CTP investigating ambulance arson

Polly Jones — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:21:10 +0000

Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing are investigation and arson attack on four ambulances in Barnet.

The four ambulances belong to a Jewish community ambulance service, Hatzola, and were set on fire in Golders Green at around 1:45 on Monday morning.

Hatzola is a a volunteer-led ambulance service run by members of the Jewish community.

The attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.

There were explosions, as oxygen canisters on board exploded and nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

The fires have been extinguished and there were no reported injuries.

Superintendent Sarah Jackson from the Met Police, who leads policing in the local area said: “We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries. We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage.

“There have been no arrests yet, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible - you can do so anonymously if you wish.

“We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence.”

CCTV footage appears to show three people pouring accelerant onto the vehicles before setting them on fire.

While CTP are investigating, the attack has not been declared a terrorist incident.

A group has posted online claiming responsibility for the attack and offers are trying to establish the authenticity and accuracy of this claim.

An online portal has been set up for members of the public to share any video footage they may have from before, during or after the attack.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London said: “We’re aware this attack has caused a great amount of concern amongst the Jewish and wider community in the area, but I want to reassure the public that we have officers working around the clock to identify those responsible.

“We’ve already gathered a large amount of CCTV footage from the local area and taken a number of statements from witnesses. But we know local people may also have footage or information that could be relevant, so we would urge anyone who may have information that could help with our investigation to get in touch.

“We will continue to work closely with our frontline policing colleagues in the area and we thank the local community for their ongoing support as we continue with this investigation.”

Two men charged with National Security Act offence

Polly Jones — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:56:00 +0000

Following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London, two men have been charged with a National Security Act offence.

The pair were originally arrested on Friday 6 March, as part of an investigation into alleged surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in the London area.

On Wednesday 18th March, CPS authorised charges against 40-year-od Nematollah Shahsavani and 22-year-old Alireza Farasati.

They have both been charged with engaging in conduct that is likely to assist a foreign intelligence service, between 9 July 2025 and 15 August 2025, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act, 2023.

In this case, the foreign intelligence service is that of Iran. Shahsavani is a dual Iranian/British national and Farasati is an Iranian national.

The men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 19 March.

Two other men who were arrested on March 6 as part of the investigation have been released without charge.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for CTP said:“These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex investigation.

"Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock to gather and assess the evidence and we have liaised closely with colleagues in the CPS to reach this point.

“We fully recognise that the public – and in particular the Jewish community – will be concerned but I hope this investigation reassures them that we will not hesitate to take action if we identify there may be a threat to their safety, and will be relentless in our pursuit of those who may be responsible."

New measures to protect local election candidates

Polly Jones — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:40:56 +0000

The government has announced new measures to protect local election candidates from harassment and intimidation.

Police will be better equipped to protect candidates from abuse, intimidation, and violence, with a new national police unit to be established to target offenders who threaten and harass election candidates ahead of the May elections.

The new unit will bring together specialist officers and intelligence experts to monitor reports of abuse from across the country. It will identify repeat offenders and help police forces build stronger cases against them.

The unit builds on a system already in place to protect MPs.

This is part of a new raft of measures to crackdown on the abuse of elected officials.

New and strengthened guidance will also be issued to frontline officers, with greater clarity on how to respond to incidents involving politicians.

The security minister has written to the chair of the National Police Chief’s Council to remind chief constables of the wide range of powers available and urged them not to hesitate to use them to protect candidates.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: "Harassment, intimidation, abuse, and violence are not acceptable political expression. We will never tolerate it, nor allow it to become the new normal.

"This is a year-round task, but we’re ramping up action ahead of local elections by putting in place protections and support for those campaigning, and ensuring any offenders face tough consequences.

"To the public and those who serve them, protecting our democracy is a shared responsibility. We all must call out this abuse whenever and wherever we see it."

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, Head of the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) said: "We will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of candidates or their supporters, whether in person or online. Police forces up and down the country will be working hard to detect and prevent crime, ensuring the democratic process is free from interference of any kind.

"A network of trained officers has been established to offer bespoke support and guidance to candidates. This will help minimise risk while campaigning and provide guidance on any online and social media concerns. A national operation has also been stood up to ensure forces are aligned and able to share the most up to date intelligence.

"It is vital our elections are not undermined by criminality, and we will work with our partners to make sure we can respond to any incidents robustly and effectively."

£155 million to protect critical services

Polly Jones — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:22:22 +0000

The government has announced £155 million to boost resilience in critical services.

Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services are critical to modern society - for example, satellite navigation services which help us get from A to B or timing signals.

Research shows that a 24-hour outage of satellite navigation services could cost the UK economy £1.4 billion.

PNT services could be jammed or spoofed by hostile actors and they can also be impacted by natural events like solar flares from the sun.

£71 million will be spent to begin work on a UK National Enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran) programme, providing PNT across land, air and sea that is independent of signals from satellites, and hard to jam or spoof.

£68 million will be used for further development of the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme. This is being delivered by the National Physical Laboratory, to develop the UK’s first nationally-distributed time infrastructure.

£13 million is being set aside for work on a UK Global Navigation Satellite Systems interference monitoring programme and there is £3 million for the Space Based Time Transfer R&D programme.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Having resilient and enduring access to Position, Navigation and Timing Services is a critical part of life in today’s world, and a major plank in the UK’s national security. So many of the things we take for granted every day, from using our phones to planning a journey, simply couldn’t happen without it.

"The UK is a leader in this field, but in an uncertain world we cannot be complacent. The funding we are announcing today will ultimately help protect Britain from the risks posed to PNT, from both accidental outages and hostile acts, safeguarding everyone’s wealth and wellbeing."

David Henderson, Chief Geospatial Officer, Ordnance Survey, said: "A resilient PNT infrastructure is vital for the success and security of our economy and society.

"The government’s focus and investment in our national positioning infrastructure is very welcome. This clear direction will help develop our national capabilities, supporting accurate, secure, and resilient positioning services."

MI5 warns MPs about espionage risk

Polly Jones — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:47:19 +0000

MI5 has warned MPs and members of the House of Lords about the threat of espionage from the Chinese state.

House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and House of Lords speaker Lord McFall have distributed an espionage alert.

Sir Lindsay warned that Chinese-linked operatives are attempting to disrupt parliamentary processes and exert influence.

He said that China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has been making contact with people connected to Parliament, aiming to gather intelligence and establish long-term ties.

The warning specifically highlights two LinkedIn profiles which are believed to be used on behalf of the MSS. The LinkedIn profiles allegedly act as "civilian recruitment head-hunters", recruiting individuals working in British politics for the MSS.

MPs and peers are also urged to be wary of all-expenses paid trips to China, and payment for information through cash or cryptocurrency.

Targets could include Parliament staff, economists, think tank employees, geo-political consultants and those working alongside the government.

The government has now set out new action against espionage threats to the UK.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis will now coordinate a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states like China.

Intelligence services will deliver security briefings for political parties and issue new guidance to election candidates to help them recognise, resist and report suspicious activity; work with professional networking sites to make them a more hostile operating environment for spies; and tighten rules on political donations through a new Elections Bill.

There will also be investment in tools used by officials who work to keep the UK safe.

£170 million will be invested in renewing the sovereign and encrypted technology that civil servants use to safeguard sensitive work.

£130 million will be spent on projects like building Counter Terrorism Policing’s ability to enforce the National Security Act, and fund the National Cyber Security Centre’s and National Protective Security Authority’s work with critical businesses to protect their intellectual property.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis MBE, said: "Today we’ve taken action to expose a covert and calculated attempt by China to interfere with our sovereign affairs. This government’s first duty is to keep the country safe, which is why I’ve announced new action to give security officials the powers and tools they need to help disrupt and deter foreign espionage activity wherever they find it.

"As a country with a long and proud history of trading around the world, it’s in our interests to continue to seek an economic relationship with China, but this government will always challenge countries whenever they undermine our democratic way of life."

Tech challenge to counter prison drones

Polly Jones — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:36:28 +0000

A new innovation challenge has been launched to counter the threat of prison drones.

The Counter-Drone Challenge, launched by the Ministry of Justice through His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) Co-Creation, invites industry to find cutting-edge solutions to detect drones designed by criminals to evade current detection methods available on the market.

Successful applicants will receive £60,000 to develop proof-of-concept systems over a 12-week period.

The number of incidents at prisons involving drones increased by 770 per cent between 2019 and 2023. They are being used to smuggle contraband like drugs and phones into jails.

£40 million is already being invested into prison security this year, including £10 million for anti drone measures.

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, said: "We have taken decisive action to combat the scourge of drones in prisons - investing heavily in physical security and cutting-edge technology.

"This challenge will help us harness innovation to keep staff safe, disrupt criminal networks and support prisoner rehabilitation."

Man charged after train attack

Polly Jones — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:12:07 +0000

Man charged after train attack

A 32-year-old man from Peterborough has been charged with ten counts of attempted murder, one count of ABH (Actual Bodily Harm), and one count of possession of bladed article, after an attack on a train near Huntingdon on Saturday.

The suspect has been named as Anthony Williams.

Several people were stabbed on a train from Doncaster bound for London King's Cross. 11 people were treated in hospital, five have since been discharged and one is still in hospital in a stable, but critical condition.

The person in a life-threatening condition is believed to be a member of train staff who tried to stop the attacker.

The train left Doncaster at 18.25 on Saturday. Cambridgeshire police received a call at 19:39 and British Transport Police at 19:42

The train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon at 19:52, where armed police arrested two men.

One of those arrested, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further action.

Williams has also been charged with an additional count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in relation to an incident on London's DLR network in the early hours of Saturday. It has been reported that a victim there suffered facial injuries after being attacked with a knife at Pontoon Dock station on London's DLR network at 00:46.

The incident is not being treated as terror-related and the motive is not yet known.

Police presence has been increased at stations around the country.

Williams is due to appear in court this morning charged with with ten counts of attempted murder, one count of ABH (Actual Bodily Harm), and one count of possession of bladed article in connection to the incident at Huntingdon and one count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in connection to the Pontoon Dock incident.

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: "The criminal investigation and support for the victims is a priority for British Transport Police.”

“Our investigation is also looking at other possible linked offences. Following the charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service I would stress the importance of not saying or publishing anything which might jeopardise or prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings, or the integrity of the investigation."

Record numbers of knives taken off streets

Polly Jones — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:05:42 +0000

Nearly 60,000 knives have been taken off the streets in England and Wales under the current government.

Knife homicides have fallen by almost 20 per cent while knife crime overall has fallen for the first time in 4 years, dropping by 5 per cent.

Figures from the NHS also show 10 per cent fall in admissions for knife assaults.

Ninja swords were banned last summer and ahead of the ban, the government launched a month-long surrender scheme with 40 new surrender bins and a mobile van in parts of London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

7,512 knives and weapons were surrendered through the ninja sword surrender and compensation scheme, handed in to the mobile surrender van or dropped into surrender bins in the most recent surrender scheme.

47,795 zombie-style knives and machetes were surrendered last year; 3334 knives seized by Border Force and 618 recovered through County Lines Programme operations.

�鶹�� Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: "Too many young lives are lost each year to knife crime.

"This government is determined to halve knife crime. We are making progress, but we won’t stop until we meet that goal.

"We will pursue this mission relentlessly, doing everything we can to get these weapons off our streets."

Knife crime campaigner Pooja Kanda said: "After my son Ronan was killed with a ninja sword bought online, I worked with the government to deliver Ronan’s Law, banning these weapons and introducing strict checks.

"Thanks to the new amnesty scheme, which took place a month before the ban was implemented, over 7,500 dangerous weapons have already been surrendered, and knife-enabled robberies have fallen nationally by 10%, with a nearly 30% drop in the West Midlands region.

"Real change is happening — in memory of Ronan and for the safety of every young person. I am grateful to the government for taking real action and making real change."

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham deproscribed

Polly Jones — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:21:31 +0000

An order has been laid in Parliament to deproscribe Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The government has made the decision to enable closer engagement with the new Syrian government and 'support UK foreign and domestic priorities, from counter-terrorism to migration and chemical weapons destruction'.

HTS was originally listed as an alias of proscribed organisation Al-Qa’ida in 2017.

The government said it will continue to press for genuine progress and hold the Syrian government accountable for its actions in fighting terrorism and restoring stability in Syria and the wider region.

The government said that the deproscription of HTS will support this government’s engagement on the counter-Daesh mission in Syria, in turn reducing the threat to the UK and also support closer working with Syria to eliminate the Assad regime’s chemical weapons programme.

The US has also removed HTS from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations earlier this year.

83 organisations are currently proscribed in the UK.