Image via Shutterstock
Small airports and ports around the UK have been described as a “weak link” in the fight against Islamist terrorist attacks
Security minister. John Hayes, told MPs on the home affairs select committee that there were “significant challenges” facing the government in ensuring that security was tight enough at these points of entry.
This was because terrorists would choose to use them to enter the country, rather than bigger airports and ports where stricter measures were in place.
He said “urgent work” was under way in Whitehall to address the issue, the Times reported.
Mark Rowley, the UK’s most senior counter-terrorism police officer, told the committee that “dramatic cuts” of more than 10% to local policing budgets would undermine efforts to tackle the terrorist threat.
The Metropolitan Police’s assistant commissioner in charge of operations said that increases in the security and intelligence services budgets to tackle terrorism had to be proportionately matched by increased resources for local policing.