UK raises terror threat level to 'severe' following France, Austria attacks

British Home Secretary Priti Patel has urged the British public to be 'alert but not alarmed'.

1 min read

03 November, 2020

The UK is now on its second-highest terror threat level [Getty]

The United Kingdom raised its terror threat level from "substantial" to "severe" on Tuesday, indicating that an attack is "highly likely".

The move follows recent attacks in Paris, Nice and Vienna.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the action is a "precautionary measure following the terrible incidents we've seen in France last week and the events we saw in Austria last night."

"The British public should be alert but not alarmed," she added, saying there will now be "more visible policing across the country".

Prior to Tuesday's upgrade, the UK's terror threat level had been at "substantial" after being downgraded from "severe" in November 2019.

European capitals have been on high alert after a gunman, said by authorities to be a supporter of the Islamic State group, went on a rampage across Vienna on Monday, killing four people.

The attack came just days after three people were killed in a knife rampage in a church in the French city of Nice last Thursday, blamed on Tunisian man who had recently arrived in Europe.

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