June 07 2005. MI5 downgrades terror threat to UK businesses,... is lower than at any time since the 9-11.

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MI5 downgrades terror threat to UK businesses

 

Financial Times | June 07 2005

 

The security service, MI5, has advised British businesses that the

threat from international terrorism in the UK is lower than at any

time since the September 11 terror attacks on the US.

 

In an advisory note to leading businesses in recent days, the

terrorist threat has been downgraded from its second highest level

" severe general " to a lower category of " substantial " .

 

Under a system agreed by the security service two years ago,

businesses receive written risk assessments and regular briefings on

terrorist threats. These are not made public.

 

Government policy is to share intelligence more broadly only if it

receives reliable information of an imminent attack. " The threat from

international terrorism to the UK remains real and serious, " the Home

Office said on Tuesday night.

 

Ministers have generally preferred not to follow the US, where the

government has issued public terrorism alerts. The latest advice to

businesses is based on data gathered by a secretive government

intelligence committee, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, based in

central London.

 

However, UK security experts insist more detailed intelligence

messages still coming through leave no room for complacency.

 

Paul Eskrit, a security adviser to the Corporation of London, said

alert levels remained high in the City and around certain government

buildings up until the general election amid fears the event might

spark of a major terrorist attack as occurred in March last year in

Spain.

 

" The downgrading does not offer a great deal of comfort . . . I for

one am not going to advise that we relax our security systems, " he

said.