UK terror threat level raised to severe following Liverpool hospital bomb

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The update follows the taxi explosion in Liverpool on Sunday

The UK's terror threat level has been raised to severe, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced. By this definition, it means that the possibility of a terrorist attack is now 'highly likely'. The update comes after a taxi explosion outside Liverpool Women's Hospital on Sunday which is now being treated as a terror incident. https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/1460251462425001990?s=20 It is believed this announcement comes after an emergency meeting was held by the Cobra committee, chaired by Boris Johnson on Monday afternoon. Following the attack that was thwarted by taxi driver David Parry, the Prime Minister tweeted to thank the emergence services for their swift action. https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1459973464161464324?s=20 Parry himself is currently in hospital and the attacker died on the scene. It is thought the police have now arrested four individuals in connection with the incident.

Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said the police know the identity of the attacker but would not confirm it at this stage and while the man's motivation is "yet to be understood", it is being treated in regards to the Terrorism Act.

The nation's threat level was reduced to 'substantial' from severe back in February following a number of terrorist attacks in Austria and France between September and November 2020. The decision by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to raise it again now was made due to two incidents occurring in the last month - the Liverpool bomb being the latest and the murder of Conservative MP David Amess in October.