London: The number of people arrested for terrorism-linked offences rose 68 per cent to a record 379 in the 12 months to June in the wake of the most intense period for terrorist attacks in recent history.
The Home Office said 379 was the highest number of arrests in a year since records began in 2001, and included 12 arrests linked to the Westminster attack in March, 23 connected with the Manchester Arena bombing in May, 21 arrests following the London Bridge attack in June and one arrest in relation to the Finsbury Park van attack soon after.
The Home Office quarterly bulletin on the police’s use of their counter-terrorism powers says 123 of those arrested were charged — 105 with terrorism offences — and 189 were released without charge. The rest were either bailed pending further investigation or faced alternative action.
So far, 32 of the 105 charged with terrorist offences have been prosecuted and found guilty and 68 are awaiting prosecution.
The number of terrorist prisoners in British jails has also risen in the past year by 35 per cent to 204. The Home Office said 91 per cent of those in prison on June 30 held Islamist extremist views and a further 5 per cent had far-right ideologies.
Police use of stop and search powers under the counter-terror laws rose by 17 per cent from 552 stops to 646 stops. But the proportion of people arrested as a result of this increased level of stops fell from 12 per cent in the previous year to 8 per cent this year.
