UK To Strengthen Response To Terrorism After Streatham Attack

Boris Johnson has said he will announce "further plans for fundamental changes" to the system for dealing with convicted terrorists following Sunday's attack in Streatham, in South London.

His words echo comments he made after the terror attack at Fishmongers’ Hall near London Bridge in November, when two people were killed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan.

Then he spoke of his anger and claimed that scrapping early release from prison would have stopped Khan.

The Prime Minister said then that preoccupations with Brexit had meant the Government had been unable to make the changes required to keep violent offenders and terrorists in jail for longer.

"If you are convicted of a serious terrorist offence, there should be a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years – and some should never be released," Mr Johnson said following the London Bridge attack.

"Further, for all terrorism and extremist offences the sentence announced by the judge must be the time actually served – these criminals must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions."

In a statement released after the Streatham attack, Mr Johnson said the Government had "moved quickly" to introduce measures to strengthen the UK’s response to terrorism.

Details of the Counter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill were released last month but the bill has not yet been approved by Parliament.

The measures include forcing dangerous terrorists who receive extended determinate sentences to serve the whole time behind bars and scrapping early release from jail for those classed as dangerous and handed extended determinate sentences.

Terrorists deemed not to be a risk would have to serve two-thirds of their sentence before the Parole Board could consider them for release.

At the end of last year, Home Office figures analysed by the PA news agency showed more than 350 convicted and suspected terrorists had been freed from prison over the previous seven years.

Cover image: Armed police at the scene of the attack in Streatham High Road (Picture: PA).