Parents, relatives and friends were today urged to raise the alarm if they fear that children are being radicalised during the lockdown as the Met warned that tip-offs about suspected extremists have plummeted.
The decline in referrals to the Prevent scheme, which seeks to divert vulnerable young people before they are lured into extremism, has occurred partly because schools and colleges are closed. Both are normally key sources of alerts.
The lower numbers of people being seen by healthcare staff and social workers — who also have a legal duty to provide extremism tip-offs — has also contributed to a decreasing number of referrals of those who might need help.
But amid concern that spending more time at home could leave some youngsters more exposed to the risk of online radicalisation, the Met today appealed to families to remain vigilant.
Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan said: “More than ever, it’s important that friends and family look out for their loved ones.
“Unfortunately, one of the effects of social distancing is that the people who are often the ones who spot the early signs of radicalisation — teachers, healthcare professionals or social workers — are not coming into contact with those affected.”
The Met added that there was also a heightened risk of radicalisation because “the pandemic appears be driving young people to spend more unsupervised time online”.
Det Supt Corrigan said that anyone with concerns could either contact police or use the “Let’s Talk About It” website.
