Smith pledge over terror police

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Ms Smith said terrorism was a "serious and growing threat" in this country and there had been successes in the important work of arrests and convictions.

But she warned on BBC Breakfast: "In the end we can't arrest our way out of the terrorist threat. We need to prevent people from becoming terrorists and supporting terrorists in the first place."

And she added: "That means challenging the sort of ideology that supports terrorism, it means working in our communities to make sure that those mainstream voices are stronger, it means identifying people who might be at risk of being drawn into terrorism and violent extremism."

Ms Smith said police officers could help with this sort of preventive work, in partnership with other groups.

"That is why we are investing in police officers to pursue and to disrupt terrorist plots but also to prevent people turning to terrorism in the first place," she said.

The move comes amid debate over controversial plans to extend the time limit for holding terror suspects without charge to 42 days.

Under the proposals, the Home Secretary would be able to immediately extend the limit to 42 days if a joint report by a Chief Constable and the Director of Public Prosecutions backed the move.