Scotland Yard chief warns of Brexit-related terror threat

Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism chief, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, has warned that the "febrile" atmosphere around Brexit could be enhancing the risk posed by far-right terrorism in the UK.

The UK is due to leave the 28-member European Union (EU) on March 29. However, the government of Prime Minister Theresa May is facing massive resistance from her own Conservative Party MPs as well as the opposition Labour Party over her Brexit deal.

"We saw a spike in hate crime after the referendum (in June 2016), that's never really receded. So there's always a possibility people are being radicalised by the kind of febrile atmosphere we've got at the moment," Basu told BBC on Tuesday at the launch of a new film aimed at encouraging people to report their suspicions about all forms of terrorism.

"We want people to report anything that we think is going to lead to violent confrontation and people need to calm down and understand that we are paying very close attention to that and we will stop it wherever we see it," said the Indian-origin Metropolitan Police Lead for Counter-Terrorism and the Head of its Specialist Operations.

Basu said there was no intelligence pointing to an increased level of attacks after Brexit, but noted: "What's most concerning me, is its potential to divide communities and set communities against each other.

"I'm really proud to be a UK citizen in a country that is largely tolerant, and we haven't seen an explosion in that (far-right) threat. What I'm concerned about is the creeping rise of that threat, and if we aren't clear that we are combating that threat then that's my concern."