TERRORISTS could be getting easy access to British soil because small ports, marinas and beaches across the country are not policed, according to a major report.

A lack of police checks at smaller British ports could give terrorists easy access to the UK
Terror watchdog chief David Anderson warned “foreign fighters” could try to sneak into Britain via hundreds of remote points on the British coast amid a shakeup of counter-terrorism policing.

Mr Anderson, the Independent Reviewer of terror monitor Terrorism Legislation, warned concentrating counter-terrorism activities at hub ports “risked having the effect of reducing the coverage of General Maritime (GM) and General Aviation (GA) in small ports and airports and in remote beaches and landing places on the south coast”. He said police officers at ports in Kent “feared that coverage of beaches and marinas would be reduced and that ‘no evidence’ would be wrongly construed as ‘no problem’.

 

“My successor may at some stage choose to look at coverage of smaller south and east coast ports, marinas and landing places.”

Mr Anderson added: “It is conceivable that they might be an option for returning foreign fighters or other terrorists, as they appear to be for the migrants who are sometimes reported to be using them, or seeking to use them, in order to get into the country.”

Police checks at major ports are common despite fears about lacking security at smaller entry points

It is conceivable that they might be an option for returning foreign fighters or other terrorists, as they appear to be for the migrants who are sometimes reported to be using them, or seeking to use them, in order to get into the country

David Anderson

“The extent of this risk… would bear further investigation.”

Following a spate of ISIS attacks across Europe in recent months, Britain remains on high alert and this warning may convince officials to offer more funding to protect Britain from terrorism on our streets.

The news comes after Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke delivered a paper to Home Secretary Amber Rudd demanding more money to protect Britain’s borders.

The MP for Dover, which is home to Britain’s busiest port, claimed the Border Force’s budget has dropped from £617million in 2012-13 to £497million in 2015-16, representing a £120million fall in just three years, Express reports.

He suggested the introduction of a £10 European Travel Authority visa waiver requirement for EU citizens wanting to come to the UK.

GETTY

Tory MP Charlie Elphicke claims ‘border security needs to be tighter that ever before’

This proposal, similar to a Brussels plan for non-EU citizens, could bring in around £250million per year, representing a huge boost for the Border Force budget.

Mr Elphicke said: “Protecting the British people from terrorists must be our priority. So border security needs to be tighter that ever before.

“That’s why as we leave the EU we must invest in our borders and increase the borders budget.

“With a new system that makes the best use of intelligence and allows universal watch list checking in real time.”

He added: “Bringing in a visa waiver system like the US would mean we could invest in the security we need – with money to spare to cut backlogs and queues at airports.

“By acting now, Britain can become a world leader in border security.

“Post-Brexit we must show the world Britain means business.”

News sourced from Express, pictures by GETTY/NS.