Rightwing extremists increasingly likely to consider terrorist attacks, MI5 chief says

A police officer watches over an anti-migrant demonstration in a suburb of Leeds, west Yorkshire. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

Extremists with anti-migrant opinions are becoming increasingly likely to consider carrying out terrorist attacks against immigration centres and asylum hotels in the UK, the head of MI5 has warned.

Ken McCallum said a shift from radicalised rightwing sentiment to violence was “the most marked trend” in the spy agency’s caseload over the past year, contributing to a rise in the overall UK terror threat level.