The number of people arrested for suspected terrorism-related offences in Great Britain increased last year, with the rate of charges hitting a record level.
Official Home Office figures show that the number of terrorism arrests numbered 249 in 2012/13, an increase of 21 per cent from 206 in 2011/12 and almost double the 125 arrests made in 2010/11.
Of the 249 persons arrested for terrorism-related offences in the last year, 105 (42 per cent) were charged and of those charges brought, 35 per cent were considered terrorism-related. The rate of charges increased 2 per cent year-on-year.
According to the figures, 23 of the 37 persons charged with terrorism-related offences had been convicted of an offence, with 13 waiting trial and 1 not proceeded against. Of the 23 convicted, 21 were under terror legislation.
As of 31 March 2013, a total of 121 persons were in prison custody for terrorism-related offences, of which just less than three quarters were UK nationals. Some 18 prisoners were classified as domestic extremists or separatists.
The figures also showed that there have been 2,419 terrorism arrests in total since 11 September 2001, of which 516 persons have been charged with terrorism-related offences.
Some 431 of these were prosecuted, 195 under terrorism legislation. In total, 64 per cent of persons charged with terrorism-related offences have been convicted since 11 September 2001, with 15 persons still awaiting trial.
93 per cent of persons arrested for terrorism-related offences since 11 September 2001 were male and 47 per cent of arrested people under the age of 30.
The figures showed stop and searches by the Metropolitan Police under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 fell by 29 per cent in 2012/13. There were 582 compared to 818 in 2011/12, with the arrest rate at 5.5 per cent in 2012/13 – up 2 per cent year-on-year.
