Britain's counter-terrorism police expect a record number of referrals to the Prevent anti-extremism scheme this year. Laurence Taylor, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told journalists on Monday that referrals could reach 10,000, significantly higher than the usual 7,000 to 8,000 annual cases.
The surge follows the Southport attack in July 2024. Taylor said: «We've seen a significant increase in the number of Prevent referrals, particularly since Southport. We are on course to having a record number of Prevent referrals this year.» The attacker, Axel Rudakubana, had been referred to Prevent three times before the incident, with cases closed due to lack of terrorist ideology.
System under strain
Taylor warned the system lacks capacity to handle increasingly complex cases, particularly those involving mental health issues. «I don't believe we have the capacity in the system to deal with the complexities that people are displaying that are coming into our purview, so through Prevent or other means,» he stated. He called for increased capacity and specialist skills, noting: «When it comes to mental health, that requires some very specialist skills.»
Data from January 2025 shows just over half (52%) of referrals involve individuals with no fixed ideology or one susceptible to radicalization. The remaining cases include extreme right-wing ideologies, fixation with extreme violence, and Islamist extremism as the next largest categories.
Official government figures on the scheme are due for release later this month. Prevent is the UK government's anti-extremism programme designed to steer individuals away from radicalization and terrorism. Taylor briefed MPs on the projected referral numbers earlier on Monday.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
