A 14-year-old boy has been charged with a terrorism offence after police discovered an alleged plan to target two London mosques.
The child was first arrested at an address in south London on suspicion of criminal damage to a vehicle, but found “a number of documents of concern” upon searching the location.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the boy was then arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 – preparation of terrorist acts – linked to “extreme right-wing terrorism.”
He is accused of planning to target the two places of worship in the Sutton area, and has been remanded in custody.
The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, has also been charged with racially aggravated damage to property by allegedly damaging a car window on or before June 20, the force said.
The mosques affected have been contacted by police and are being provided with support by specialist officers.
The Met has also contacted the victim linked to the damaged vehicle which was also in Sutton.
The force said it was working closely with Counter Terrorism Policing London (CTP), and has increased patrols in affected areas.
There is not believed to be any enduring or wider threat, and police are not seeking any other people in connection with their investigation.
Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Blackburn, who is in charge of local policing for the area, said: “We acknowledge that this will be concerning for the local Muslim community and have been working together with our local partners to provide reassurance and support and I would like to thank all those involved for their understanding.
"We should not underestimate the cumulative impact of incidents of this nature on the Muslim community. These charges come just days after 12 people were arrested for a suspected threat to an Islamic festival in Suffolk and a man was arrested for an alleged assault outside a mosque in Leyton.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said it was a "very serious terrorism charge against a young boy" and "particularly concerning" to the Muslim community.
She added that they were seeing an increasing number of children and young people in their casework.
Ms Flanagan said: “We continue to work with partners across policing, education, local authorities and safeguarding agencies to help prevent young people becoming involved in extremist ideologies and criminality.
“However, parents, carers, teachers and others who work with young people also have an important role to play.
“If you’re concerned that a child or young person may be vulnerable to radicalisation, we would urge you to seek support and contact ACT Early.
“Early intervention can make a significant difference and help prevent individuals from coming to harm or becoming involved in criminal activity.”
The boy is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday July 16.
