Radicalisation plea issued by the county police force

RSPCA APPEAL AFTER POLL REVEALS FEARS FOR PETS AS RECESSION BITES

AS we all continue to adapt to the changes brought on by Covid-19, police are asking that people pay attention to changes in behaviour of those they love and act early if they see signs of radicalisation.

This is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extreme ideologies, often through grooming. The Home Office’s Prevent programme aims to avoid this happening.

Specially trained police Prevent officers, alongside professionals in health, education, local authorities and charities, as well as faith and community groups, seek to help vulnerable people move away from extremism. Together they put the right package of support in place to help them find a new direction.

The new ActEarly.uk website aims to explain the process, share people’s

AN APPEAL has been launched by an animal charity in a bid to avoid pets being dumped over the winter.

In the three months from December 1 to February 29 this year, the RSPCA received 4,650 reports of abandoned animals, including 90 in Leicestershire.

Last month, there were 985 reports of dumped and unwanted animals to the RSPCA’s cruelty line, including 12 in Leicestershire.

The charity fears reports of increased pet ownership, coupled with a deepening recession, could see more pets left out in the cold this year.

Dermot Murphy, head of the animal rescue teams, said that during lockdown there have been multiple reports of a rise in people buying or adopting new pets, often for the first time.

“While it’s great that so many people have become pet owners and have found their pet to be a real source of comfort during these challenging times, we are concerned that some people may have bought a pet on impulse without considering how their lifestyle might change experiences and highlight the signs to look out for, in a bid to encourage more referrals from the community.

Inspector Alex Wood, from the East Midlands Prevent team, said: “As vulnerable people have been further isolated during this pandemic, we worry their susceptibility to negative influence, particularly online, may increase. At the same time, however, families who share the same household are spending much more time together. This offers an important opportunity to take note of anything untoward. once the pandemic ends,” said Dermot.

“On top of that, we are facing real economic uncertainties, and, as in previous recessions, people may simply find themselves unable to afford their pet.

“The last thing we want to see is animals dumped and left out in the cold so we would urge anyone who is struggling to care for their pets to please reach out to friends, family and charities for support instead.”

A poll by the RSPCA, conducted by YouGov, revealed that 11 per cent of pet owners had taken on a pet during lockdown and, of those, nearly one in ten (9 per cent) said that their pet had been more expensive than they had expected.

Just over one in 20 were worried about being able to afford them in the future.

A third of adults who own a pet said they were worried that pets bought during lockdown will be abandoned when people return to work and a similar number said they were concerned that pets

“You are best placed to see when the behaviour of a loved one is changing; when something just doesn’t seem right with them. Are they spending a lot of time online? Do they seem guarded about their activities? Showing anger and displaying extreme views? “Could they be being radicalised? “It’s not a nice question to have to will be dumped this Christmas are struggling.

Dermot said: “We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money and care they need for the rest of their lives.

“As the impact of the pandemic puts a strain on people’s finances and as many people start to return to work or some kind of normality, the fear is that we will see a surge in abandoned and neglected animals coming into our care.”

Since the start of lockdown, March 23, up until November 29, the RSPCA’s cruelty line has received 11,052 reports about abandoned animals.

This winter, the RSPCA expects to rescue thousands of animals from neglect, cruelty and suffering.

To help the charity’s rescue teams reach the thousands of animals who desperately need them, visit: ask yourself, nor something anyone wants to be thinking about someone you care about, but it is vital that we all know the signs and act early if we suspect something is wrong.

“That way, they can get the support they need before the situation escalates into something more serious.

“You are not alone. Together we can help prevent them from becoming drawn into harmful activities or groups, and help them choose a different if people path.

“Receiving support is voluntary. We’ll need the person’s permission to help them. We won’t tell the person you’re worried about that you called us, unless you say we can.

“Visit ActEarly.uk for more information. You can also call the national Police Prevent Advice Line on 800 011 3764, in confidence, where our specially trained Prevent officers will listen carefully to your concerns.”