‘Many find anti-terror hotline intimidating’

THE government’s AntiTerrorism Hotline is “ineffective” and “intimidating” when it comes to family and friends raising concerns about worrying behaviour of someone they know, it is claimed.

Research led by a University of Huddersfield professor has shown that greater levels of sensitivity and understanding must be shown towards people who are contemplating whether or not to alert the authorities about someone they suspect of violent extremism.

People surveyed in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, from both Muslim and white communities, described the hotline as remote, intimidating and inappropriate for reporting the early stages of concern about a friend or relation.

Rather than call a counterterrorism hotline, people said they would prefer to speak to a local police officer face-toface.

Paul Thomas, Professor of Youth and Policy at the University of Huddersfield, has headed a project titled Community Reporting Thresholds.

Funded by the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST), the research fills a critical blind spot in international attempts to counter violent extremism.

One key conclusion arising from the research is that reporting to the police is such a grave step that most community respondents would only do so after a staged process.

First, they would attempt to dissuade their friend/relation,