National security cases involving hostile states up 50%, top police officer says

Comments come as investigation continues into Iran-linked group’s claim it attacked ambulances run by Jewish charity

The number of national security cases involving hostile states carrying out operations such as spying and sabotage in the UK has increased by half in six months, the head of counter-terrorism policing has said.

As the security services continue to investigate the potential involvement of an Iran-linked group in Monday’s attack on community ambulances run by a Jewish charity, the assistant Metropolitan police commissioner Laurence Taylor warned of a worrying trend.