Police disrupt 13 terror networks

MI5 said 2,000 people are involved in terrorist-related activity

Scotland Yard has disrupted 13 terrorist networks in London in the last financial year.

During the 12 month period, there was an average of a suspected terrorist incident in London every other day.

There were 181 incidents, slightly up on the previous year's figure of 177 and police took 4,346 calls on the anti-terrorism hotline.

The figures were revealed in a document prepared for the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Its author Supt Neil Haynes, from Scotland Yard's Specialist Operations unit, said disrupting a network could involve several features.

"Some cases may result in the foiling of a planned major bombing campaign, others may reduce the funding or resources available to mount such an attack," he said.

Last November, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of the Security Service MI5, said it was aware of about 2,000 people involved in terrorist-related activity in the UK, and there could possibly be a further 2,000 it was unaware of.

This year Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, said there were 200 terror networks and 30 plots under investigation.