Manchester attack: PM says terror threat remains critical

Theresa May has said the threat level will 'remain at critical and the public should remain vigilant' after a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra.

Prime Minister Theresa May

The Prime Minister said she would “make clear” to President Donald Trump that “intelligence that is shared between our law enforcement agencies must remain secure” at the Nato summit, following leaks of key evidence regarding the Manchester attack in the US.

Speaking inside Number 10 after the meeting, she said: “I have just chaired a meeting of Cobra where I was updated on the extraordinary response of the police and emergency services to Monday’s horrific attack.

“The police have confirmed that eight suspects remain in custody and that progress is being made in the case but the threat level, as assessed by the independent joint terrorism analysis centre, will remain at critical and the public should remain vigilant.”

The Prime Minister said around 1,000 members of the Armed Forces were still assisting the police, “providing important reassurance ahead of a Bank Holiday weekend of busy events”.

Mrs May, who is due to travel to the Nato summit later on Thursday, said she would work with “international colleagues on defeating terrorism” at the gathering.

On Friday the Prime Minister will attend a G7 summit in Italy where she said she will “lead a discussion on counter-terrorism and on how we will work together to prevent the plotting of terrorist attacks online and to stop the spread of hateful extremist ideology on social media”.

She also expressed her gratitude for the “expressions of support and condolences that the UK has received from international colleagues in recent days”.

She added: “G7 and Nato will enable us to work more closely together as we work to defeat the evil of terrorism.”