PARIS ATTACKS: George Osborne says Britain has got the cyber ammunition to take on Islamic State

Britain has developed an “offensive cyber capability” to hit back directly at terrorists and states, George Osborne said as he warned Islamic State (IS) was seeking to launch potentially deadly attacks on essential services.

The British chancellor said the military was ready to “take the fight” online in retaliation for any attempts to disrupt vital infrastructure such as transport, hospitals and energy supplies.

Funding to tackle cyber crime and warfare is being doubled to £1.9bn a year by 2020, he told intelligence staff at the GCHQ listening post in Cheltenham.