Police to receive new powers to help prevent violent attacks | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentIndependent Bulletin homepageSocial PartnerWe are 8 logo (opens in a new tab)AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleRob FreemanSunday 20 July 2025 10:01 BSTHalf of more than 40 outcome notices published in the last month were anonymised (Getty)Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed new powers for police and courts to deal with suspects planning mass killings.The new tools aim to close a legal gap between terror suspects, who face life imprisonment for planning attacks, and non-ideological individuals planning similar mass atrocities.Police will be empowered to apprehend suspects based on preparatory steps, such as research, even without an ideological link, mirroring existing anti-terrorism legislation.Cooper stated that mass attacks, regardless of ideological motivation, can cause devastation comparable to terrorism and should be treated with similar seriousness.The legislation could have applied to cases like the Southport attacker, Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls and received a life sentence.In fullCriminals plotting mass killings to be detained earlier under new lawThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in