London, Dec.1: British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has warned of terror attacks in public places, including the possibility of radioactive dirty bombs being used.

Urging the public to remain vigilant over the Christmas period, Smith said her comments on the dirty bomb threat come after police in Slovakia arrested three men suspected of trying to sell contraband uranium for one million US dollars.

According to the Online reporter, Smith highlighted how the number of people tracked by the intelligence services because of suspected involvement in terror plots had risen from 1,600 to 2,000 in just a year.

"I think that the analysis that says this is a threat, a serious level of threat that will be with us over a period of time, is right. If we look at the trends it is something that is growing at the moment, she was quoted, as saying.

"If you look at the nature of the sort of attacks that have either been carried out or have been foiled, we are talking about attacks on crowded public places, we are talking about the use potentially of dirty bombs and other things and that is why it is something that we need to take seriously, but we are in terms of the resource and the capability we are putting into it," she added.

"What I'd say to the British people is actually get on with living your lives because that's what terrorists want to disrupt. But do it in a way that keeps an eye out, is vigilant and is willing to report things that you are uncertain about, and working together I am confident that we can defeat that threat," she said. (ANI)