Brexit news latest: Britain's counter-terror chief says no-deal outcome would leave UK and EU in 'very bad place'

Brexit: Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu issued a stark warning over the no-deal option
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The country's most senior counter-terrorism police officer has said he finds the prospect of a no-deal Brexit "incredibly concerning".

Leaving the European Union without continued access to shared data and intelligence systems would put the UK and Europe in a "very bad place", Neil Basu said.

The head of UK counter-terrorism policing said there was a central team working on contingency plans to understand how to cope with a no-deal divorce from the bloc.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mr Basu said: "For counter-terrorism we have a lot of bilateral relationships, it is a devolved power for countries, it is not an EU power, so we are confident that my counterparts in those 27 countries want to exchange information with us and we are working very hard to make sure we put that in place

Theresa May: The PM is under pressure to secure a Brexit deal
EPA

"But nevertheless, to leave without ... being able to exchange data or biometrics on people who might be criminals or terrorists would be a very bad place for this country, and for Europe, to be."

Mr Basu said there was a central team working on contingency plans, while counter-terrorism police liaison officers were "embedded" in embassies and agencies in Europe.

"They are working very hard with their counterparts to understand how we cope if there is a no-deal Brexit, but as I said, a no-deal Brexit for operational security would be a very bad thing," Mr Basu said.

He said there was no intelligence pointing to an increased level of attacks after Brexit, but he was concerned about a potential rise in hate crime.

No-deal warning: Neil Basu said leaving the EU without a deal would leave Britain in a 'very bad place'
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"What's most concerning me about Brexit is its potential to divide communities and set communities against each other," he added.

"So what we saw after the referendum (in 2016) was a rise in hate crime, and a rise in far-right rhetoric, and we have seen the growth of organisations like National Action, and what I want to make absolutely clear is that we are concentrating very heavily on making sure that doesn't get a foothold in this country.

"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 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.

"It's still a relatively small threat compared to what we have faced from al Qaida in the past and Islamic State over the last four years or so."

Mr Basu was speaking at the launch of a major cinema advert campaign to increase awareness of suspicious activity and encourage people to report it to police.

The 60-second film shows a series of scenarios, such as a man stockpiling hazardous material and another buying weapons, before rewinding and zooming in on the danger.

In 2017 and 2018, around a fifth of the information passed to police from the public had a "significant" role in thwarting attacks, he said.

Four far-right extremist plots and 14 Islamist terror plots were foiled in the last two years.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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