LONDON (Reuters) - The British government said on Thursday it had increased security at some of its borders, including ports and rail entry points, in the wake of a terrorist attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron said the extra security was not based on specific intelligence and that there were no plans to raise the country's threat alert, which is already at its second highest level.

"On a precautionary basis we have tightened up border security," the spokeswoman told reporters. "For example at ports, people going through them would see increased car and truck searches, a bit more scanning of freight and then they will also see an increased visible presence."

She cited increased security at British checkpoints at the French port of Calais and at the Eurostar terminal in Paris as examples, adding that Britain had dispatched a police counter-terrorism expert to France.