Anyone who helps terrorists by tipping them off or failing to report them to police will feel “the full force of the law” under new sentencing rules announced by ministers today.

Victims and members of the public will be able to challenge sentences handed out to criminals with terrorist links if they think judges have been too lenient.

The Government believes giving the public the right to demand longer sentences will have a deterrent effect, as well as disrupting plots involving some of the 3,000 suspects currently being monitored in more than 500 operations by MI5 and counter-terrorism police.

This year’s terrorist attacks in Manchester and London have shown how rapidly plots can develop from the moment someone is radicalised to the point where they carry out an attack.

With 23,000 people currently or previously of interest to MI5 or anti-terrorist police, ministers believe every measure possible must be used to halt the spread of extremism.