Travesty on terror

SUDESH Amman, the terror attacker killed in Streatham, wrote in a notebook that his life goals were dying as a martyr and going to paradise.

A zealous Islamic State supporter, the extremist was fixated with knives. The 20year-old was so dangerous he was placed under round-the-clock surveillance.

Yet perplexingly, he was freed from prison. It’s thanks to the immense heroism of the police and security services that, when the warped fanatic embarked on Sunday’s stabbing spree, only he died.

With more than 200 terrorists due for early release, this problem won’t disappear.

Some say lock them up and throw away the key. At first glance, the idea’s attractive. But it’s deeply impractical. Even terrorists should get a chance at redemption.

Keeping them in jail for longer, as Justice Secretary Robert Buckland outlined yesterday, is much more realistic – and eminently sensible.

Giving the Parole Board the final say on whether the threat a convicted terrorist poses has dissipated before they are released is another step in the right direction.

In these pages, ex-Met Police counterterror chief Richard Walton argues the worst offenders should stay in jail if experts rule they are still a danger.

These measures must go hand in hand with tackling radicalisation behind bars – where extremists brainwash vulnerable inmates. Terrifyingly, many leave prison more of a risk than when they entered.

It’s a travesty that despite countless warnings, public safety is still jeopardised.

■ FROM sprawling cities to tiny parishes, more than 200 councils have signed up to the Great British Spring Clean. Residents and community groups will be urged to grab litter-pickers and bags and join the three-week tidy-up, which starts on March 20. So far, an aweinspiring 73,000 people have volunteered to spruce up our green spaces and waterways. We salute every one of you!

■ IN the 1970s and 1980s, the Green Cross Code Man helped save lives by teaching children how to cross the road safely. Today, doctors warn of increasing numbers of injuries and accidents because smartphone- obsessed pedestrians, distracted by texting or social media, don’t look when they step off the kerb. Does the safety superhero mantra – ‘Stop, look and listen’ – need to make a comeback?