Home Office warns of nuclear terror threat

The Home Office has launched its new counter-terrorism strategy, warning of the threat of a serious attack on the UK.

It also sets out a tougher stance on non-violent Muslim groups which teach that Islam is incompatible with Western democracy.

The government said that the threat of a nuclear or chemical attack is "more realistic" than ever.

Jacqui Smith said that ministers must develop more intelligent ways to combat dangers posed by new technologies.

The strategy document, Contest Two, updates the previous plan which was six years old.

It is the first unclassified document to detail the UK's official assessment of the causes of terrorism and future terrorist threats.

In it, the home secretary highlights trends which could see terrorist groups including al Qaeda fragmenting in the coming decades.

And there are concerns about the level of threat Britain continues to face, with the current threat level rated as 'severe'.

The report stated: "Contemporary terrorist organisations aspire to use chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear weapons.

"Changing technology and the theft and smuggling of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials make this aspiration more realistic than it may have been in the recent past."

And the report added: "Terrorist organisations will have access to new technology and may become capable of conducting more lethal operations."

The Home Office describes its Contest counter-terrorism strategy in four words – 'prevent, pursue, protect and prepare'.

And the home secretary has called for the country to mount a "civil challenge" against the causes of extremism.

Smith told the BBC that the strategy includes a programme of work to prevent people from turning to violent extremism and supporting terrorism.

She expressed her desire to develop that programme and to focus on "shared values".

"What we have said is that people may not have broken the law but nevertheless acted in a way that undermines our belief this country in democracy, in human rights, in tolerance, in free speech," she said.

"Actually, there should be a challenge made to them. Not through the law but what we are calling a civil challenge. We should argue back. We should make clear that those things are unacceptable.

"I think that we want to reflect on the way in which we support projects, fund organisations, our commitment to the values that the vast majority of people in this country share."

And she added: "We need to be clear that while this may not promote violence by expressing some of these views, nevertheless, it creates a space in which some people may find it easier then to take the next step to violent extremism."

The strategy also sees moves to train 600,000 civilian workers through 'Project Argos'.

These include training retail managers, hotel managers and those who run pubs and clubs to be "vigilant" and "prepared" to deal with a terrorist attack.

The home secretary also noted that the government has increased the number of police officers working on counter-terrorism from 1,700 to 3,000.

But Smith warned: "We can't depend solely on them to do this job.

"Terrorism can't be solely challenged behind closed doors. It aims to attack us in the places where we work and play."