Tip-offs to counter-terror scheme double

THE number of extremists reported by the public to the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy has doubled in the wake of the London and Manchester attacks.

Police received around 200 referrals to the deradicalisation programme from communities between April and the end of July – compared with around 100 in the previous four months.

There have been a total of 6,300 refer- rals to Prevent in the past year – a rate of around 20 a day – with the vast majority coming from teachers, social workers, police and security services. Some 60 per cent of tips-offs related to Islamic extremists and 15 per cent to the far-Right.

But Chief Constable Simon Cole, the national police lead for the anti-terror initiative, said he could not recall a single alert from any social media company.

This is despite police constantly asking for extremist material to be removed from sites such as YouTube.

Mr Cole also revealed the Government is considering making elements of the voluntary programme compulsory despite criticism that it alienates Muslims.