'Overriding threat' still from Islamic State-inspired groups, police say
Islamic State-inspired plots still make up the bulk of the terror threat against the UK, police chiefs have said.
They insisted the danger from the far right is treated in the same way as any other "toxic ideology".
But senior officers said the "overriding threat" stems from groups and individuals inspired by IS, also known as Daesh.
They pointed to figures showing the extreme right wing accounted for fewer than one in 10 terror-related arrests in the year to the end of May.
A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said :"Tackling the threat from extreme right wing ideology has long been a part of policing's commitment to fighting extremism in all its forms.
"We are committed to tackling any and all ideologies which pose a threat to the public's safety and security, and treat the threat from the far right in exactly the same way as any other toxic ideology used to spread mistrust and fear in our communities.
"However, the overriding threat to the UK remains from Daesh-inspired groups and individuals.
"That is borne out in the arrest figures, which show that between June 2016 and May 2017 the extreme right wing accounted for around 8% of those arrested for terrorism offences."
Between June 1 last year and the end of May 402 arrests were entered on a national terrorism database.
Of these, 57 (14%) were logged as domestic terrorism, which covers suspected activity with no link to either international or Northern Ireland related terrorism.
Out of these 57 arrests, 34 were recorded in the extreme right wing category.
Separate figures show almost a third of people supported through the government's Channel anti-extremism programme in 2016/17 were given help as a result of far-right concerns.
The NPCC added: "We will continue to work closely with our partners to inform the public about the range of threats posed by all forms of extremism, and the role they can play in helping police.
"Anyone with concerns should contact their local force."
