David Cameron says seven attacks prevented in UK

Security services have prevented seven attacks in the last six months, British prime minister David Cameron said as he warned a Paris-style attack “could happen here” and announced he will boost intelligence agency staff by 15%, an extra 1,900 officers.

Cameron said the terror spree in France “was the sort of thing we warned about” in planning with the security services but such atrocities meant “you have to go right back to the drawing board” to work out what more steps needed to be taken, he said.

Asked if his country was at war with IS, he said Britainstands in “total solidarity” with France and would do “everything we can” to defeat the jihadis.

Cameron indicated that he wanted to speed up plans for introducing spying powers under the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme “we should look at the timetable”.

He added: “We have been aware of these cells operating in Syria that are radicalising people in our own countries, potentially sending people back to carry out attacks.

“Our security and intelligence services have stopped something like seven attacks in the last six months, albeit attacks planned on a smaller scale.”

Cameron said he will not hold a vote on extending British military action into Syria until he knows he has the support to get it through because losing such a vote would be “damaging” for Britain’s “reputation in the world”.

He said: “Isil don’t recognise a border between Iraq and Syria and neither should we. But I need to build the argument. I need to take it to Parliament. I need to convince more people.