Accredited official statistics

Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes, and stop and search, Great Britain, quarterly update to March 2026

Published 23 July 2026

Applies to England and Wales

Forthcoming release: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Helene Clark

Press enquiries telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: HSAI_Statistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

Privacy information notice

This release covers Official Statistics on the use of police powers under terrorism and subsequent legislation in Great Britain on a quarterly basis, up to the year ending 31 March 2026. It also covers arrests for terrorist-related activity under other legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

This release includes subsets of Official Statistics classified as Accredited Official Statistics and Official Statistics in Development. These statistics draw on a range of administrative data sources that are updated as cases progress through the criminal justice system. Therefore, figures may be revised in future releases. More information is available in Section 6.3.

Upcoming changes

Alongside this publication, we published our user survey findings, following a recent review of the Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 statistics. The public user survey was conducted between 12 March to 12 April 2026, to collect feedback, helping to improve future releases of the statistical publication and inform ongoing decisions about the proposed changes to its content and frequency. A summary of the feedback received, along with the decisions made in response to each proposed change, is included in the user survey report accompanying this publication.

Main results

• higher levels of terrorism-related arrests persisted across consecutive periods in 2025: there were 3,061 arrests for terrorism-related activity in the year ending 31 March 2026, representing a rise of 1,186% compared with the previous year (238)
• impact of Palestine Action proscription: 2,819 out of 3,061 arrests (92%) were linked to supporting Palestine Action, following its proscription on 5 July 2025
• other terrorism-related arrests: once Palestine Action proscription related arrests are removed, there were 242 arrests, a 1.7% increase compared with the previous year (238); of these, 44 arrests (18%) occurred in the most recent quarter (January to March 2026), a 32% decrease on the previous quarter (October to December 2025).
• charging decisions: 18% (551) of arrests made have so far resulted in a charge, including 484 linked to supporting Palestine Action
• the proportion of terrorism-related arrests involving minors was lower in year ending March 2026 than at its recent peak: 41 individuals aged 17 and under were arrested, including one linked to supporting Palestine Action, with minors making up 17% of non-Palestine Action arrests (40 of 241) where the age is known, down from 19% in the year ending March 2025

Data presented is based on the latest position each case is at on the date of data provision from the Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters (CTPHQ) Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).

Figure 1a: Arrests for terrorist-related activity, by legislation, years ending 31 March 2002 to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.01)

Notes:

1. Figures for the year ending 31 March 2002 include data from 11 September 2001 onwards.
2. ‘Other legislation’ includes arrests under non-terrorism legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984.
3. Includes arrests that are considered by the CTPHQ Coordination Centre to be terrorism-related, either at the time of arrest or at a subsequent point in the investigation.
4. Average line represents the median number (252) of annual arrests over the last 10 years.

Figure 1b: Arrests for terrorist-related activity, excluding those arrested for supporting Palestine Action, by legislation, years ending 31 March 2002 to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.01)

Notes:

1. Figures for the year ending 31 March 2002 include data from 11 September 2001 onwards.
2. ‘Other legislation’ includes arrests under non-terrorism legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984.
3. Includes arrests that are considered by the CTPHQ Coordination Centre to be terrorism-related, either at the time of arrest or at a subsequent point in the investigation.
4. Average line represents the median number (240) of annual arrests over the last 10 years.

For the remaining sections:

• court proceedings: in the year ending 31 March 2026, 72 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, 10 less than in the year ending 31 March 2025 (see section 3)
• terrorist prison cohort reaches new high: as of 31 March 2026, there were 273 persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain, an increase of 7 from the year ending 31 March 2025 (266) (see section 4)
• stop and search under Section 43 (TACT 2000): in the year ending 31 March 2026, 98 persons were stopped and searched by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) under section 43 of Terrorism Act (TACT) 2000 this was an increase of 36% compared to the year ending 31 March 2025 (72)
• a further 108 persons were stopped and searched by other police forces in England and Wales under section 43 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2000 (see section 5 for more information on these statistics in development)
• arrests following Section 43 stop and search: there were 16 arrests resulting from a section 43 stop and search carried out by the MPS, in the year ending 31 March 2026
• a further 22 arrests resulting from a section 43 stop and search were carried out by other police forces in England and Wales (see section 5 for more information on these statistics in development)

1. Introduction

1.1 Main changes and additions to this release

There have been changes to the data presented within this publication:

• any figures reported as being linked to supporting Palestine Action refer to arrests made on or after 5 July 2025, following proscription, where Counter Terrorism Policing determined the primary reason for arrest was on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action
• the number of stop and searches under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and resultant arrests made by other police forces in England and Wales will be included for the first time, as Official Statistics in Development, in addition to those made by the MPS

2. Arrests and outcomes

Main results

• there were 3,061 arrests for terrorism-related activity in the year ending 31 March 2026, representing a rise of 1,186% compared with the previous year; 2,819 of these arrests were linked to supporting Palestine Action, following its proscription on 5 July 2025
• of the remaining 242 arrests, 44 occurred in the most recent quarter January to March 2026, a decrease of 32% compared with October to December 2025 (65)
• 18% (551) of arrests made have so far resulted in a charge, including 481 under Section 12 or Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 linked to supporting Palestine Action
• there were 14 instances where a request for access to a solicitor was delayed

These statistics cover arrests in Great Britain where there was suspicion of involvement in terrorist-related activity, either at the time of arrest or later in the investigation. Some cases initially treated as terrorism-related may result in non-terrorism charges.

Outcomes include charges, prosecutions and other resolutions, with demographic information provided for those arrested, charged and convicted. Figures are based on the date of arrest so users can track outcomes for arrests in each period.

2.1 Arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action

This section provides more detail on arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action. It includes data on:

• arrests
• charges
• sex
• age
• self-defined nationality
• ethnic appearance, where ethnicity is classified based on a police officer’s observation of an individual at the time of arrest or charge

Ethnic appearance is also categorised using the ONS 18+1 ethnicity classification, aligned with the 2011 Census categories.

Arrests

• there were 2,819 arrests for terrorism-related activity in the year ending 31 March 2026 linked to supporting Palestine Action, following its proscription on 5 July 2025
• of the 2,819 Palestine Action arrests, 484 were charged, 36 were released without charge, 12 had alternative action, and 2,287 were bailed to return and released under investigation

A flow chart (Figure 2.1) summarises the process from arrest through to charge and prosecution for arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action following its proscription on 5 July 2025.

Figure 2.1: Arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action, and outcomes in Great Britain in the year ending 31 March 2026

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data tables from A.01 to A.07)

Notes:

1. Based on time of arrest, between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
2. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).
3. ‘Alternative action’ includes a number of outcomes, such as cautions, detentions under international arrest warrant, transfer to immigration authorities. See annual data table A.03 for a complete list.
4. Terrorism-related charges and convictions include some charges and convictions under non-terrorism legislation, where the offence is considered to be terrorism-related.
5. The ‘other’ category includes other cases/outcomes such as cautions, transfers to Immigration Enforcement Agencies, the offender being circulated as wanted, and extraditions.
6. Cases that are ‘awaiting prosecution’ are not yet complete. As time passes, these cases will eventually lead to a prosecution, ‘other’ outcome, or it may be decided that the individual will not be proceeded against.
7. Excludes convictions that were later quashed on appeal.

Charges

At the time of data provision, of the 2,819 arrests for terrorist-related activity linked to supporting Palestine Action in the year ending 31 March 2026, 484 (21%) resulted in a charge, including 8 under Section 12 and 473 under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Of the 484 charged with terrorism-related offences which are linked to supporting Palestine Action, 456 are awaiting prosecution, 25 had other outcomes, and 3 were not proceeded against.

Given the number of cases still to be finalised in the year ending 31 March 2026, the current charge rate may change over time. Until all cases in a given period are finalised, care should be taken when comparing charge rates over time.

The effect on the total number of arrests will be minimal, but the number of charges and convictions currently reported will likely increase in future releases, especially for cases from the more recent quarters where a greater number have not yet reached the point of charge or conviction.

Figure 2.2: Outcomes following a charge for a terrorism-related offence, for charges linked to supporting Palestine Action, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.06c)

Notes:

1. Based on the time of arrest.
2. A more detailed flow chart can be found in Section 2, ‘Arrests and outcomes’.
3. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).
4. The chart does not include outcomes following non-terrorism-related charges.
5. Terrorism-related charges and convictions include some charges and convictions under non-terrorism legislation, where the offence is considered to be terrorism-related.
6. Cases that are ‘awaiting prosecution’ are not yet complete. As time passes, these cases will eventually lead to a prosecution, ‘other’ outcome, or it may be decided that the individual will not be proceeded against.
7. Excludes convictions that were later quashed on appeal.
8. Includes other cases/outcomes such as cautions, transfers to UK Border Agencies, the offender being circulated as wanted and extraditions.

Sex

Of the 2,814 arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action, where sex is known, 1,368 (49%) were male, 1,445 (51%) were female and one was non-binary.

Arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action, where sex is known, were 5.6 times more likely to be female than other arrests in year ending 31 March 2026.

This means that, unlike previous years where the vast majority of those arrested for terrorism-related activity were males, the proportions of male and female arrests for year ending March 2026 were more equal.

Figure 2.3: Proportion of persons linked to supporting Palestine Action and all other arrests, by sex, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.09)

Notes:

1. As recorded by the police at time of arrest.
2. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).

Age

Of the 2,819 arrests on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, where the age is known, 2,561 (91%) were aged 30 or above, with those aged 25 to 29 years, 21 to 24 years and 18 to 20 years accounting for 4%, 4% and 1% respectively.

Arrests linked to support Palestine Action have considerably altered the age profile of arrests in this period, with these arrests having an average age of 59, compared with 31 for all other arrests.

Table 2.1: Minimum, maximum and average ages of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, for year ending March 2026, Great Britain

	Arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action	All other arrests
Minimum age	17	13
Mean age	59	31
Maximum age	89	70

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data tables from A.10)

Notes:

1. As recorded by the police at time of arrest.
2. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).

Ethnic appearance as recorded by the arresting officer

Figures in this section are based on the ethnic appearance of the person being arrested, as recorded by the arresting officer.

Since June 2022, the data on those arrested for terrorism-related offences by ethnic appearance uses the ONS 18+1 ethnicity codes, in line with the Census 2011 categories.

Of arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action, where the ethnicity is known, arrests for those of White ethnic appearance accounted for 97% of arrests (1,738 out of 1,800) compared to all remaining arrests where those of White ethnic appearance accounted for 52% of arrests where the ethnicity was known (117 out of 223).

Figure 2.4: Proportion of persons linked to supporting Palestine Action arrested, by ethnic appearance, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.11b)

Notes:

1. As recorded by the police at time of arrest.
2. Excludes those whose ethnicity is not known (for instance, ‘Not stated’).

Figure 2.5: Proportion of persons linked to supporting Palestine Action and all other arrests, by ethnic appearance, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.11b)

Notes:

1. As recorded by the police at time of arrest.
2. Excludes those whose ethnicity is not known (for instance, ‘Not stated’).

Nationality

Of those whose arrests were linked to supporting Palestine Action, and whose nationalities are known, 96% (1,870 out of 1,949) consider themselves British or British dual nationality compared to all remaining arrests, where the nationality is known, where 72% (165 out of 229) consider themselves British or British dual national.

Table 2.2: Number of persons arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, in year ending 31 March 2026, by self-defined nationality

Numbers and percentages, Great Britain

Self-defined nationality	Total in year ending March 2026	Proportion of all arrests, where nationality is known (%)
Great Britain	1,870	96.0
Ireland	28	1.4
Germany	6	0.3
Italy	5	0.3
Netherlands	5	0.3
United States	5	0.3
India	5	0.3
Pakistan	3	0.2
Hungary	2	0.1
Poland	2	0.1
Not Declared	870

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.12a)

Notes:

1. The nationalities presented here are those declared by persons at the time of arrest and may differ from their country of origin.
2. Only the first 10 countries, by number of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, are included in the table.
3. Figures for Great Britain include those with ‘British dual’ nationality.

2.2 Arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were 242 arrests for terrorist-related activity not linked to supporting Palestine Action. This represents an increase of 2% compared to arrests made in the year ending 31 March 2025 (238). Of the 242 arrests:

• 44 occurred in the most recent quarter January to March 2026, a decrease of 32% compared with October to December 2025 (65)
• 67 were charged, 52 were released without charge, 6 had alternative action, 7 had a decision pending, 110 were released on bail to return and released under investigation
• of the 67 individuals charged, 52 were charged under terrorism‑related legislation
• 12 individuals were charged with an offence under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (preparation of terrorist acts) and 11 charged under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (collection of information useful to terrorism)
• 9 individuals charged with terrorism‑related offences were prosecuted, all of whom were convicted of terrorism‑related offences

Figure 2.6: Non-Palestine Action linked arrests and outcomes in Great Britain in the year ending 31 March 2026

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data tables from A.01 to A.07)

Notes:

1. Based on time of arrest, between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
2. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).
3. ‘Alternative action’ includes a number of outcomes, such as cautions, detentions under international arrest warrant, transfer to immigration authorities. See annual data table A.03 for a complete list.
4. Terrorism-related charges and convictions include some charges and convictions under non-terrorism legislation, where the offence is considered to be terrorism-related.
5. The ‘other’ category includes other cases/outcomes such as cautions, transfers to Immigration Enforcement Agencies, the offender being circulated as wanted, and extraditions.
6. Cases that are ‘awaiting prosecution’ are not yet complete. As time passes, these cases will eventually lead to a prosecution, ‘other’ outcome, or it may be decided that the individual will not be proceeded against.
7. Excludes convictions that were later quashed on appeal.

2.3 Arrests by legislation

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were 3,061 arrests for terrorist-related activity in Great Britain, 40 (1%) of which were under Section 41 of Terrorism Act 2000, which gives police officers the power to arrest persons suspected of terrorism-related offences without a warrant. The remaining 3,021 arrests (99%) were made under other legislation, which includes arrests under non-terrorism legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984. See Figure 1a in the ‘Main results’ section for a summary chart on the arrests made for terrorist-related activity, by legislation in Great Britain for the years ending 31 March 2002 to 31 March 2026.

In the latest reported quarter, January to March 2026, there were 66 arrests. This is a decrease of 95% compared to October to December 2025, when there were 1,221 arrests.

Figure 2.7: Arrests for terrorist-related activity, by legislation, 9 quarters to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see quarterly data table A.01)

Notes:

1. ‘Other legislation’ includes arrests under non-terrorism legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
2. Includes arrests that are considered by the CTPHQ to be terrorism-related, either at the time of arrest or at a subsequent point in the investigation.
3. Average line represents the median number (62) of quarterly arrests over the last 9 quarters.

Figure 2.8: Arrests for terrorist-related activity, excluding supporting Palestine Action, by legislation, 9 quarters to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see quarterly data table A.01)

Notes:

1. ‘Other legislation’ includes arrests under non-terrorism legislation, such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
2. Includes arrests that are considered by the CTPHQ to be terrorism-related, either at the time of arrest or at a subsequent point in the investigation.
3. Average line represents the median number (57) of quarterly arrests over the last 9 quarters.

2.4 Pre-charge detention under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000

Further details of the legislation can be found in the user guide.

The data breakdown for arrests under Section 41 by period of detention and outcome has been updated to include records that were previously marked as ‘Unknown’.

Further details on the length and outcomes of detentions under section 41 of TACT 2000 can be found in annual data table A.02.

2.5 Other powers under Schedule 8 to TACT 2000

From the year ending September 2021 publication onwards, data has been collected and published on:

• the number of persons detained and applications for extension of detention in Great Britain under PACE and Schedule 8 of the Terrorism Act 2000
• the number of requests made for access to a solicitor by persons detained under these provisions

These statistics are classed as official statistics in development. More information about official statistics in development can be found on the UK Statistics Authority website. Home Office statisticians aim to improve the quality of the data in future releases, by working with data providers to improve quality assurance procedures.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were 40 warrants of further detentions, which include multiple warrants for the same individual.

Under Section 41 of TACT 2000, a person detained in police custody under the terrorism provisions is entitled to consult a solicitor privately. A police officer of at least the rank of superintendent can authorise a delay in permitting a detained person to consult a solicitor, if they believe that exercising this right will result in any of the consequences listed in Schedule 8. Please see the user guide for further information.

Between 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026, there were 66 terrorism-related arrests. There were 14 instances where a request for access to a solicitor was delayed.

2.6 Charges

In line with the general convention for Home Office criminal justice statistics, when a person is charged or prosecuted for multiple offences at the same time, only the most serious offence is counted - usually the one that carries the highest penalty. This ‘principal offence rule’ means the statistics provide a count of individuals charged rather than the total number of charges. More detailed information on the principal offence rule can be found in the accompanying user guide. Further details of the legislation under which persons have been charged following an arrest for a terrorism-related activity can be found in annual data tables A.05a to A.05c.

At the time of data provision, of the 3,061 arrests for terrorist-related activity in the year ending 31 March 2026, 551 (18%) resulted in a charge. Of these charges, 536 were for terrorism-related offences.

Given the number of cases still to be finalised in the year ending 31 March 2026, the current charge rate may change over time. Until all cases in a given period are finalised, care should be taken when comparing charge rates over time.

Figure 2.9: Charging outcomes following an arrest for terrorist-related activity, 9 quarters to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination (see quarterly data table A.03)

Notes:

1. ‘Alternative action’ includes for instance, cautions for non-TACT 2000 offences, detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983, recall to prison.
2. ‘Bailed to Return’ includes those released on bail pending further investigation, and those who have absconded from bail. Those who were released under investigation (RUI) were previously unable to be recorded separately and were recorded as ‘released without charge’.

Figure 2.10: Charging outcomes following an arrest for terrorist-related activity, excluding those linked to supporting Palestine Action, 9 quarters to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination (see quarterly data table A.03)

Notes:

1. ‘Alternative action’ includes for instance, cautions for non-TACT 2000 offences, detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983, recall to prison.
2. ‘Bailed to Return’ includes those released on bail pending further investigation, and those who have absconded from bail. Those who were released under investigation (RUI) were previously unable to be recorded separately and were recorded as ‘released without charge’.

Charge rates have remained consistent since the year to 31 March 2018 (39%, 175 out of 447 arrests), with a mean rate of 44% between year to 31 March 2018 and year to 31 March 2025. In the most recent reporting period, year to 31 March 2026, the charge rate is 18% (551 out of 3,061 arrests). However, as cases progress over time, figures published in this release are likely to be revised. The effect on the total number of arrests will be minimal, but the number of charges and convictions currently reported will likely increase in future releases, especially for cases from the more recent quarters, where a greater number have not yet reached the point of charge or conviction.

Figure 2.11: Charging outcomes following an arrest for terrorist-related activity, excluding those linked to support Palestine Action, year ending March 2002 to March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.03)

Notes:

1. ‘Alternative action’ includes cautions for non-TACT offences, detentions under the Mental Health Act, recall to prison, and transfers to immigration authorities.
2. ‘Bailed to Return’ includes those released on bail pending further investigations, and those who have absconded from bail. Those who were released under investigation were previously unable to be recorded separately and were recorded as ‘released without charge’.

2.7 Prosecutions

As with charges, statistics on prosecutions are based on the principal offence rule, (see Section 2.3). Where an individual is prosecuted for more than one offence at a time, they are classified in terms of a single offence - usually the most serious.

Figure 2.12 shows the outcomes following a charge for a terrorism-related offence.

Further details of the specific legislation under which persons have been convicted following a charge for a terrorism-related offence can be found in annual data tables A.08a to A.08c.

Figure 2.12: Outcomes following a charge for a terrorism-related offence, for all remaining charges, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.06c)

Notes:

1. Based on the time of arrest.
2. A more detailed flow chart can be found in Section 2, ‘Arrests and outcomes’.
3. Data presented is based on the latest position with each case as at the date of data provision from CTPHQ Coordination Centre (5 May 2026).
4. The chart does not include outcomes following non-terrorism-related charges.
5. Terrorism-related charges and convictions include some charges and convictions under non-terrorism legislation, where the offence is considered to be terrorism-related.
6. Cases that are ‘awaiting prosecution’ are not yet complete. As time passes, these cases will eventually lead to a prosecution, ‘other’ outcome, or it may be decided that the individual will not be proceeded against.
7. Excludes convictions that were later quashed on appeal.
8. Includes other cases/outcomes such as cautions, transfers to UK Border Agencies, the offender being circulated as wanted and extraditions.

2.8 Demographics of persons arrested for terrorism-related activities

This section provides more detail on the demographic and other characteristics of persons arrested. It includes data on:

• sex
• age
• ethnic appearance
• nationality

Sex

Unlike previous years, where the vast majority of those arrested for terrorism-related activity were males, the proportions of male and female arrests for year ending 31 March 2026 were more equal. Of the 3,055 arrests, where the sex was known, there were 1,467 females (48%), a 32-percentage point increase from year ending 31 March 2025 (38, 16%). In comparison, there were 1,587 males (52%), a 32-percentage point decrease from the year ending 31 March 2025 (199, 84% of persons arrested).

Of the 241 arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action, where sex is known, for year ending 31 March 2026, 219 (91%) were male and 22 (9%) were female, compared to year ending 31 March 2025 where 84% of arrests where male and 16% were female.

Age

As in previous years, those aged 30 and above accounted for the most arrests (2,671, 87%). Those aged 30 and above increased from 47% of all arrests to 87% compared to the year ending 31 March 2025.

Of the 241 arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action, where the age was known, in year ending 31 March 2026, those aged 30 and above decreased from 111 to 110 compared to the year ending 31 March 2025 (47% to 46% of persons arrested). The number of arrests increased for those aged 18 to 20 on the previous year, increasing by 7-percentage points. Those aged 17 and under decreased compared to the year ending 31 March 2025, from 44 to 40 individuals, which was a 2-percentage point decrease to 17%. Arrests for those aged 25 to 29 decreased from 27 individuals to 26. Arrests for those aged 21 to 24 decreased from 28 individuals to 21 and saw a 3-percentage point decrease to 9%.

Ethnic appearance as recorded by the arresting officer

Figures in this section are based on the ethnic appearance of the person being arrested, as recorded by the arresting officer.

Since June 2022, the data on those arrested for terrorism-related offences by ethnic appearance use the ONS 18+1 ethnicity codes, in line with the Census 2011 categories.

In cases where ethnicity is known, arrests for those of White ethnic appearance accounted for 92% of arrests (1,855 out of 2,023) compared to 52% for the previous year. Arrests for those of Asian ethnic appearance accounted for 4% of arrests (89 out of 2,023) compared to 28% for the previous year.

Of the cases not linked to supporting Palestine action, where the ethnic appearance was known, arrests for those of White ethnic appearance accounted for 52% of arrests (117 out of 223), the same proportion for year ending March 2025 (116 our of 225). Arrests for those of Asian ethnic appearance accounted for 29% of arrests (64 out of 223), compared to 30% (89 out of 225) of arrests for year ending March 2025. Arrests for those of all other ethnic appearances accounted for 16% of arrests (36 out of 223), compared to 15% (40 out of 225) of arrests for year ending March 2025.

Figure 2.13: Proportion of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, excluding those linked to supporting Palestine Action, by ethnic appearance, year ending 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.11b)

Notes:

1. As recorded by the police at time of arrest.
2. Excludes those whose ethnicity is not known (for instance, ‘Not stated’).

Nationality

Of those arrested in the year ending 31 March 2026, where the self-defined nationality is known, 94% considered themselves to be of British or British dual nationality, up from 76% in the year ending 31 March 2025.

Overall, the proportion of those arrested who consider themselves British or British dual nationality has remained stable over the last 13 years. The proportion has not fallen below 67% over the last 13 years. Overall, since 11 September 2001 (when the data collection began), 72% of those arrested considered themselves to be of British or British dual nationality.

Of the arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action, 72% considered themselves to British or British dual nationality, compared to 76% for year ending 31 March 2025.

Table 2.3a: Number of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, since 11 September 2001, by self-defined nationality

Numbers and percentages, Great Britain

Self-defined nationality	Total since Sep 11 2001	Proportion of all arrests (%)
Great Britain	5,664	71.8
Algeria	198	2.5
Iraq	193	2.4
Pakistan	186	2.4
Iran	114	1.4
Afghanistan	101	1.3
Turkey	96	1.2
Ireland	90	1.1
Somalia	88	1.1
Sri Lanka	72	0.9

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.12a)

Notes:

1. The nationalities presented here are those declared by persons at the time of arrest and may differ from their country of origin.
2. Only the first 10 countries, by number of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, are included in the table.
3. Figures for Great Britain include those with ‘British dual’ nationality.

Table 2.3b: Number of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, since 11 September 2001, by self-defined nationality, where arrests are not linked to supporting Palestine Action

Numbers and percentages, Great Britain

Self-defined nationality	Total since Sep 11 2001 (arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action)	Proportion of all arrests not linked to supporting Palestine Action (%)
Great Britain	3,794	64.9
Algeria	198	3.3
Iraq	193	3.2
Pakistan	183	3.1
Iran	114	1.9
Afghanistan	101	1.7
Turkey	96	1.6
Somalia	87	1.5
Sri Lanka	72	1.2
India	65	1.1

Source: CTPHQ Coordination Centre (see annual data table A.12a)

Notes:

1. The nationalities presented here are those declared by persons at the time of arrest and may differ from their country of origin.
2. Only the first 10 countries, by number of persons arrested for terrorist-related activity, are included in the table.
3. Figures for Great Britain include those with ‘British dual’ nationality.

3. Court proceedings

Main results

• in the year ending 31 March 2026, 72 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, 10 less than in the year ending 31 March 2025
• of the 72 persons tried for terrorism-related offences, 67 were convicted (93%)
• of the 67 persons convicted of terrorism-related offences, 39 (58%) pleaded guilty and 28 (42%) entered a not-guilty plea

This section presents statistics on prosecutions for terrorism-related offences in England and Wales. It provides data on the number of persons prosecuted and convicted, including information on the legislation under which they were prosecuted. It also provides information on the length and type of sentence that each convicted person received. Data in this section is based on the trial completion date and is not directly comparable to the prosecutions data in Section 2, ‘Arrests and outcomes’, which is based on the date of arrest.

Data is provided to the Home Office by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Counter Terrorism Division (CTD). The data covers terrorism-related court cases that were completed in the 16 years from the year ending March 2011, up to the year ending March 2026.

The breakdown of data for terrorism-related offences by sentence lengths for defendants tried and convicted by the Crown Prosecution Service after March 2024 is excluded within this release, as this data is not available to the Home Office.

3.1 Court proceedings

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 72 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, 10 less than in the year ending 31 March 2025.

The latest year had the second highest conviction rate recorded in a year ending March since comparable records began in March 2010, with 93% (67 out of 72) of trials in the year ending 31 March 2026 leading to a conviction. Conviction rates have remained consistent in recent years, with 93% (70 out of 75) of trials leading to a conviction in the year ending 31 March 2024, and 98% (80 out of 92) of trials in the year ending 31 March 2025.Figure 3.1 shows the outcomes for the 72 persons proceeded against.

Figure 3.1: Outcome of terrorism-related trials under TACT and non-TACT legislation, year ending 31 March 2026, England and Wales

Source: CPS CTD (see annual data tables C.01 to C.03)

Notes:

1. Based on the principal offence for which the defendant was prosecuted against.
2. TACT offences include offences specifically under terrorism legislation.
3. Non-TACT offences include offences under other legislation.
4. Can include trials ending in a hung jury, or where the prosecution offered no evidence.

Of the 67 persons convicted of terrorism-related offences, 39 (58%) pleaded guilty and 28 (42%) entered a not-guilty plea. The proportion of persons convicted with a terrorism-related offence that pleaded guilty was a slightly higher proportion compared with the year ending 31 March 2025, where 42 of the 80 persons convicted (53%) entered a guilty plea. Data on this can be found in Table C.03 within the quarterly and annual data tables.

Data in this release is presented on the principal offence basis. This means that, when a person is tried for multiple offences in the same trial, the most serious offence with the largest sentence is shown in the data tables.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, the principal offences with the most convictions are:

• Section 58 of TACT 2000 (collection of information useful for an act of terrorism) with 17 convictions
• Section 2 of TACT 2006 (dissemination of terrorist publications) with 10 convictions
• Section 5 of TACT 2006 (preparation for terrorist acts) with 8 convictions
• Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 (port and border controls) with 7 convictions

Of the 5 individuals acquitted in the year ending March 2026:

• one was proceeded against for a Section 12 TACT 2000 offence
• one was proceeded against for a section 13 TACT 2000 offence
• one was proceeded against for a section 17 TACT 2000 offence
• one was proceeded against for a section 18 TACT 2000 offence
• one was proceeded against for a section 54 Counter-Terrorism act 2008 offence

4. Terrorist prisoners

Main results

• as at 31 March 2026, there were 273 persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism‑connected offences in Great Britain – the highest number since comparable records began and higher than the peak at 31 December 2025 (267 persons)
• of those in custody, the majority (58%) were categorised as holding Islamist-extremist views; a further 29% were categorised as holding Extreme Right-Wing ideologies and 12% were categorised as holding Other ideologies
• of the latest data available (year ending 31 December 2025), a total of 41 prisoners held for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences were released from custody in Great Britain

Statistics presented in this section give information on the number of persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain, including the jurisdictions of England and Wales, and Scotland. This includes both those that had been convicted and those being held on remand (that is, held in custody until a later date when a trial or sentencing hearing will take place). This section includes breakdowns of their ideology, self-defined ethnicity, self-defined nationality and self-defined religion.

Data for this section is provided by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). Data on the number of prisoners released covers the 9 quarters to 31 December 2025. Prisoner release figures up to 31 March 2026 are not yet available as these will form a subset of the prison releases statistics which will be published by the Ministry of Justice in their Offender management statistics quarterly release in July 2026.

4.1 Persons in custody

As at 31 March 2026, there were 273 persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain. This is the highest number since comparable records began, surpassing the previous peak of 267 persons recorded at 31 December 2025. It represents a 3% increase year-on-year, with 266 persons held in custody as at 31 March 2025.

Of those in custody, 159 (58%) were categorised as holding Islamist-extremist views, 4 less compared to the year ending 31 March 2025. A further 80 (29%) were categorised as holding Extreme Right-Wing ideologies, one more than the year ending 31 March 2025. The remaining 34 prisoners (12%) were categorised as holding beliefs related to Other ideologies.

Figure 4.1: Number of persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences, by ideology, year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2026, Great Britain

Source: HMPPS and SPS (see annual data table P.01)

Notes:

1. The ‘Other’ category includes any prisoners holding ideologies including Dissident Irish Extremist, Domestic Extremist, Left Wing Extremist, no specific ideology, and not known.
2. Following changes agreed with the prison service, for figures at 31 March 2020 onwards, we have adopted the definition ‘terrorism-connected offender’ to replace the previously used definition ‘terrorism-related offender’ for this time-series. Figures for September 2020 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years or quarters. More information on this change can be found in the user guide (see section 10 ‘Terrorist prisoners’).

As at 31 March 2026, the majority of persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain have the United Kingdom as their self-declared nationality (219 out of 273, 80%). The next highest self-declared nationalities:

• 8 (3%) persons declared as Iraqi
• 5 (2%) persons declared as Iranian
• 3 (1%) persons declared as Italian
• 3 (1%) persons declared as Polish
• 3 (1%) persons declared as Pakistani

Of the 273 persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain with a self-declared religion, 165 were Muslim (60%), 54 (20%) were Christian and 36 (13%) declared themselves as having no religion. One individual’s religion was not recorded.

4.2 Persons released from custody

HMPPS, Counter Terrorism Policing and the Security Service work jointly to manage the risk of terrorism-related releases, including by forecasting releases and prioritising resource at a national level towards the greatest threat. Upon release, terrorists are subject to strict licence conditions, which severely limit their activity.

A total of 41 terrorist prisoners were released from custody in Great Britain in the year ending 31 December 2025. In comparison, there were 50 terrorist prisoners released in the year ending 31 December 2024. The 41 releases include 12 offenders released between October 2025 and December 2025. There was one more release in the latest quarter, January - March 2026 (12) compared to the previous quarter, October - December 2025 (11). The majority (23, 82%) of releases in year ending December 2025 were in the last 6 months, between July 2025 and December 2025.

Of the 41 releases from custody, 17 had received sentences of less than 4 years, and 21 had sentences of 4 years or more. No one was released following an indeterminate sentence for public protection. No one serving a life sentence was released, whilst 3 persons had been convicted but not yet sentenced.

5. Other police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000

Main results

In the year ending 31 March 2026:

• 98 persons were stopped and searched by the MPS under section 43 of TACT 2000; this was an increase of 36% compared with a total of 72 in the year ending 31 March 2025, and the second lowest number since data collection began.
• a further 108 persons were stopped and searched by other police forces in England and Wales under section 43 of TACT 2000 (this statistic is currently under development)
• there were 16 arrests by the MPS resulting from a section 43 stop and search in the latest year, 7 more than the year ending 31 March 2025.
• a further 22 arrests resulting from a section 43 stop and search were carried out by other police forces in England and Wales (this statistic is currently under development)
• 2,614 persons were subject to the use of Schedule 7 to TACT 2000 in Great Britain; this was an increase of 14% compared with the year ending 31 March 2025 (where there were 2,290 examinations)
• 53% of examinations made under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 in the United Kingdom resulted in at least one biometric identifier being taken from an individual (1,436 persons out of 2,714 examinations)

Section 5 presents statistics on the use of stop and search powers available to the police under the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT 2000). It includes data on the number of stop and searches, and resultant arrests, carried out under section 43 of TACT 2000 and section 47A of TACT 2000 by police forces. It also contains data on the use of powers under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000 in Great Britain. More information on these powers can be found in the user guide.

Data on stop and searches conducted under Section 43 of TACT 2000 by police forces across England and Wales are included in this release for the first time, covering the year ending 31 March 2026. This expands the existing dataset, which previously included only data from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and has been published since the year ending March 2011. Due to data quality issues identified in the newly collected data for forces outside the MPS, the metrics relating to searches and arrests for these forces are designated as Official Statistics in Development. More information on this can be found in the user guide.

5.1 Stop and search under Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000

Section 43 of TACT 2000 allows a constable to stop and search a person whom he/she reasonably suspects to be involved in terrorist activity. This section includes data from police forces within England and Wales only and excludes ‘vehicle only’ stops and searches.

The statistics in this release on the number of stops and searches carried out by the MPS and persons arrested as a result of these, between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2026, were provided to the Home Office by the MPS on 29 April 2026.

The number of stop and searches carried out by the remaining police forces within England and Wales and persons arrested as a result of these between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 were provided to the Home Office by each of their respective police forces.

Users should note that figures for the same financial year and quarter may differ between this statistical release and the Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics for the following reasons:

• the data is extracted on different dates; as the data is live and subject to ongoing updates, small differences may arise between the 2 releases
• this release excludes ‘vehicle only’ searches, whereas these searches are included in the Police powers and procedures statistics
• this release excludes searches conducted under powers other than Section 43 of TACT 2000

Data on Section 47a and Section 43 stop and searches is provided to the Home Office by police forces within England and Wales. Data on Section 43 stop and search is also available for all police forces in the annual ‘Police powers and procedures’ stop and search report.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were no stop and searches under section 47a of TACT 2000. Further details on the use of section 47a can be found in the code of practice for the exercise of stop and search powers.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 98 persons were stopped and searched by MPS under section 43 of TACT 2000, an increase of 36% when compared with the 72 in the year ending 31 March 2025. The number of persons stopped and searched by MPS has decreased by 91% since data collection began in the year ending 31 March 2011.

A further 108 persons were stopped and searched by other police forces in England and Wales under section 43 of TACT 2000 in the year ending 31 March 2026.

Table 5.1: Number of persons stop and searched by other police forces in England and Wales under section 43 of TACT 2000, for year ending 31 March 2026

Police Force Area	Total number of stop and searches
Greater Manchester	51
West Midlands	11
Thames Valley	10
South Yorkshire	5
Essex	3
Sussex	3
North Wales	3
South Wales	3
Merseyside	2
West Yorkshire	2
London, City of	2
Surrey	2
Avon & Somerset	2
British Transport Police	2
Cheshire	1
Cumbria	1
Leicestershire	1
Lincolnshire	1
Nottinghamshire	1
Hampshire	1
Gloucestershire	1

Source: Other police forces in England and Wales (see annual data table S.02a)

Notes:

1. Does not include ‘vehicle only’ searches.
2. Does not include data for MPS stop and searches.
3. Due to data quality issues identified in the newly collected data for police forces outside the MPS, the metrics relating to searches and arrests for these forces are designated as Official Statistics in Development. Further information on these issues can be found in the user guide.

Since June 2024, the data on stops and searches of persons made by the MPS and other forces under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 by self-defined ethnicity are published using the ONS 18+1 self-defined ethnicity codes.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were 16 arrests resulting from a section 43 stop and search (up by 7 in the year ending March 2025) by the MPS, and a 78% increase from a total of 9 in the year ending 31 March 2025. A further 22 arrests resulting from a section 43 stop and search were carried out by other police forces in England and Wales in the year ending 31 March 2026.

Figure 5.1: Stop and searches under section 43 of TACT 2000 carried out by MPS, year ending March 2011 to year ending March 2026, MPS

Source: MPS (see annual data table S.01a)

Notes:

1. Excludes ‘vehicle only’ searches.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 16% of stops carried out by MPS (16 arrests out of 98 stops) resulted in arrests, 3-percentage points higher than the year ending 31 March 2025. This is the highest arrest rate for year ending March data, since comparable records began (year ending 31 March 2011); however, the search and arrest numbers are much lower than previous years.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 20% of stops carried out by other police forces in England and Wales (22 arrests out of 108 stops) resulted in arrests.

Figure 5.2: Arrest rate following stop and searches carried out by MPS under section 43 of TACT 2000, year ending March 2011 to year ending March 2026, MPS

Source: MPS (see annual data table S.01a)

Notes:

1. Excludes ‘vehicle only’ searches.

Details on the overall use of stop and search in England and Wales can be found in the Home Office ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’ annual statistical release. MPS also publishes monthly reports on the use of stop and search within its force area.

Ethnicity was stated in only 55% of stops (54 of 98) in the year ending 31 March 2026, a lower proportion compared to the year ending 31 March 2025 (42 of 72, 58%). The proportion of cases where ethnicity was known was at its highest at 93% in the year ending 31 March 2011 and has declined since. This information relies on the individual stopped being willing to define their ethnicity and the officer recording it accurately.

For MPS, in cases where the ethnicity was known:

• 37% identified as ‘Asian or Asian British’
• 28% identified as ‘White’
• 20% identified as ‘Black or Black British’
• 13% identified as ‘Arab or other’
• 2% identified as ‘Mixed’

For all other police forces in England and Wales, ethnicity was stated in 81% of stops (88 out of 108) in the year ending 31 March 2026. In cases where ethnicity was known:

• 35% identified as ‘Asian or Asian British’
• 26% identified as ‘White’
• 22% identified as ‘Arab or other’
• 11% identified as ‘Black or Black British’
• 6% identified as ‘Mixed’

5.2 Schedule 7 to TACT 2000

Under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000, an examining officer has several powers, the uses of which are covered in this section. These include:

• examinations of persons and resultant detentions
• strip-searches
• refusals to postpone questioning (usually to enable an individual to consult a solicitor)
• examinations of goods

Data on Schedule 7 is provided to the Home Office by the Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters (CTPHQ). This section includes annual breakdowns for the last 15 years up to the year ending March 2026.

Data has also been provided on how frequently other powers have been used in Great Britain under Schedule 7 to restrict or qualify a person’s access to a solicitor. This data covers Great Britain only. As well as ‘refusal to postpone questioning’, which has been published since 2016, this release now also covers use of powers where a person is:

• required to consult a solicitor by phone
• delayed access to a solicitor
• required to consult in sight and hearing of a qualified officer

From the year ending June 2019 publication onwards, data on the number of examinations made under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000, the number of intra-UK examinations and the number of resultant detentions within the United Kingdom have also been collected. An intra-UK examination is when a person has been examined at a UK port, either before or after a journey between one UK port and another UK port. This includes journeys between or within England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Moreover, as of the June 2021 publication of this release, data on the number of persons where one or more biometric identifier was taken during an examination made under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 in the United Kingdom has also been provided. For the purposes of this statistical publication, a biometric identifier (taken during an examination under Schedule 7) includes photographs, fingerprints, and DNA samples.

Examinations and resultant detentions

An examining officer may stop and question individuals entering and leaving the country through ports, airports, international rail stations and the border area. When necessary, they may also detain and search individuals. The aim is to determine whether or not that person is or has been concerned with the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, a total of 2,614 persons were subject to the use of this power in Great Britain. This increased by 14% compared with the year ending 31 March 2025 (where there were 2,290 examinations), and a 96% decrease since the data was first collected in the year ending 31 March 2012 (when 63,902 persons were examined under Schedule 7). From 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2026, there has been a mean 17% decrease in examinations each year.

Figure 5.3: Number of Schedule 7 to TACT 2000 examinations and resultant detentions, year ending March 2022 to March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ (see quarterly data table S.04a)

Notes:

1. Excludes examinations of unaccompanied freight.

There was a large reduction in examinations under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 between 2019 and 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel. Passenger numbers at air and seaports in particular were at unprecedented low levels. There has also been increased public scrutiny of this power in recent years, which may have driven a more targeted approach in its use. This is reflected in the increased rate of detention, with 59% of examinations in Great Britain in the year ending 31 March 2026 resulting in a detention (see Figure 5.3).

Since June 2022, data on examinations and resultant detentions made under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 by self-defined ethnicity are published using the self-defined ethnicity codes based upon the ONS 16+1 self-defined ethnicity codes with the addition of the ‘O2-Arab’ category, which comes under the ‘Other’ group.

Ethnicity was stated in 93% of cases. In cases where the ethnicity was known:

• 38% identified as ‘Chinese or Other’
• 24% identified as ‘Asian or Asian British’
• 18% identified as ‘White’
• 9% identified as ‘Black or Black British’
• 4% identified as ‘Mixed’

Figure 5.4: Number of Schedule 7 to TACT 2000 examinations and resultant detentions, 9 quarters to 31 March 2026, Great Britain

Source: CTPHQ (see quarterly data table S.04a)

Notes:

1. Excludes examinations of unaccompanied freight.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 2,714 examinations were made under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 in the United Kingdom, an increase of 13% compared to the year ending 31 March 2025 when 2,394 examinations were made. Of the 2,714 examinations made in the year ending 31 March 2026, 304 (11%) were intra-UK examinations, compared to 313 of 2,394 (13%) in the year ending 31 March 2025.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, 53% of examinations made under Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 resulted in at least one biometric identifier being taken from an individual (1,436 persons out of 2,714 examinations).

5.3 Other powers under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000

The following section includes information on several additional powers under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000. This includes:

• strip-searches
• postponement of questioning refusals
• examinations of goods (sea and air freight)

Data on these powers has been collected by the Home Office since April 2015.

In the year ending 31 March 2026:

• 8 strip-searches were carried out under the power
• a total of 566 air freight examinations were carried out (a decrease of 41% compared with the year ending 31 March 2025)
• 302 sea freight examinations (an increase of 92% compared with the year ending 31 March 2025) were conducted in Great Britain
• there were no occasions where postponement of questioning (usually to enable an individual to consult a solicitor) was refused

Furthermore, data has been provided on how frequently powers have been used to restrict or qualify a person’s access to a solicitor by requiring the person to consult a solicitor by phone, delaying access to a solicitor, and requiring the person to consult in sight and hearing of a qualified officer. This data has been collected since April 2019.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, there were 3 instances where an individual was delayed access to a solicitor.

Details on each power can be found in the user guide.

6. About these statistics

Following the National Statistics designation review by the Office for Statistics Regulation the term “Accredited Official Statistics” was introduced to describe National Statistics in September 2023. This release was, formerly badged as “National Statistics” and should now be considered “Accredited Official Statistics”. National Statistics is the legal term set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 for “Accredited Official Statistics” that have been judged by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics (“the Code”). This means these statistics meet the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value as set out in “the Code”. Further information about accredited official statistics can be found on the OSR’s website.

These statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, impartiality, quality and public value, and are fully compliant with the Code of Practice for Statistics. As part of the assessment process, the Home Office reviewed and improved the user guide that accompanies this release, which contains more information about the strengths and limitations of the various datasets within the publication, as well as the steps taken to engage with users. Further details on the assessment process can be found on the UK Statistics Authority website.

Statistics on stop and searches conducted under the Terrorism Act 2000, and resultant arrests, by police forces other than the Metropolitan Police Service within England and Wales are published as Official statistics in development (previously known as experimental statistics). This is due to a number of data quality limitations and other issues that users should be aware of, including:

• some police force areas do not collect or provide these data
• 5% of records in the year ending 31 March 2026 have the reason for a resultant arrest following a stop and search recorded as ‘not stated’; the proportion of ‘not stated’ records varies considerably between police forces
• 19% of records in the year ending 31 March 2026 have self-defined ethnicity recorded as either ‘not stated’ or missing; as a result, ethnicity figures may not be fully representative of all police forces in England and Wales

The statistics serve a public good in understanding the number of stop and searches and resultant arrests under the Terrorism Act carried out by police forces in England and Wales but given the current quality limitations they are published as ‘official statistics in development’. Official statistics in development are statistics which are published in order to involve users and stakeholders in their development and as a means to build in quality at an early stage. Statisticians have been working and will continue to work with the police forces in England and Wales to try to improve the data.

6.1 Additional information and enquiries

Accountability statement

Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR, which sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly via HSAI_Statistics@homeoffice.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Future releases

The information published in the ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ statistics is kept under review, taking into account the needs of users, and burdens on suppliers and producers, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. If you have any comments, suggestions or non-data enquiries, please contact the team via email using: HSAI_Statistics@homeoffice.gov.uk. For freedom of information requests please contact: FOIRequests@homeoffice.gov.uk.

The user survey findings, following a recent review of the Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 statistics, have been published alongside this publication. The public user survey collected feedback, helping to improve future releases of the statistical publication and informing ongoing decisions about the proposed changes to its content and frequency. A summary of the feedback received, along with decisions made in response to the proposed change, can be found in the user survey report.

Feedback and enquiries

We welcome feedback on the statistics release. If you have any feedback or enquiries about this publication, please contact the HSAI Statistics team via email.

6.2 Accompanying user guide and tables

The user guide provides further details on this release, including the strengths and limitations of the datasets, and the quality assurance processes involved in the production of this release. It also includes a summary of the criminal justice process, a glossary of terms used, and details about the legislation and categories mentioned in this release.

6.3 Data sources

The ‘Arrests and outcomes’ section contains data provided by the CTPHQ Coordination Centre and includes statistics for Great Britain on the:

• number of arrests for terrorist-related activity and outcomes (such as charges and convictions) following such arrest
• number of charges and convictions broken down by legislation used
• sex, age, ethnicity, and nationality of those arrested, charged and convicted

The ‘Court proceedings’ section uses data from the CPS CTD and includes statistics for England and Wales on the:

• number of persons proceeded against by CPS CTD for terrorism-related offences
• number of persons that have been prosecuted and convicted, broken down by the legislation used

The ‘Terrorist prisoners’ section uses data from HMPPS and the SPS and includes statistics for Great Britain on the:

• number and ideology of persons in custody for terrorism and terrorism-connected offences
• ethnicity, nationality and religion of those in custody
• number of persons released from custody by sentence length

The ‘Other police powers under TACT 2000’ section uses data provided by police forces in England and Wales and CTPHQ Coordination Centre, and includes statistics on the:

• number of stops and searches carried out by police forces in England and Wales under section 43 of TACT 2000
• number of stops and searches carried out by police under section 47a of TACT 2000
• number of examinations and subsequent detentions made in Great Britain under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000
• data on goods examinations, strip searches and on refusals of requests to postpone questioning (usually to enable an individual to consult a solicitor) under Schedule 7 to TACT 2000

The user guide provides further details on this release, including the strengths and limitations of the datasets, and the quality assurance processes involved in the production of this release. It also includes a summary of the criminal justice process, a glossary of terms used, the legislation and the categories referred to in this release.

6.4 Other related publications

The annual ‘Stop and search and arrests’ publication provides information on use of various powers by police in England and Wales including: arrests for notifiable offences, stop and searches under section 1 PACE and associated legislation and searches under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, police custody, pre-charge bail, breath tests, motoring offences, and detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983.

The annual ‘Individuals referred to and supported through the Prevent programme’ publication contains official statistics in development on the number of individuals recorded as having been referred to and supported through the Prevent programme due to concerns they were susceptible to a risk of radicalisation.

The quarterly ‘Offender management statistics’ publication from the Ministry of Justice contains official statistics on the flows into services (receptions into prison or probation starts) and flows out (discharges from prison or probation terminations) as well as the caseload of both services at specific points in time.

Northern Ireland Security statistics are published by the Northern Ireland Office at Northern Ireland Terrorism Legislation - Annual Security Statistics 2023.