Officials bracing for record number of referrals to anti-extremism scheme

Counter-terrorism officials could see a record number of referrals under the government anti-extremism scheme Prevent in the wake of the Southport attack.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said a significant increase had been seen since the harrowing murders at a children’s dance class in July 2024.

Last week he told MPs there could be 10,000 referrals to Prevent in a year, up from the usual figure of around 7,000 or 8,000.

Prevent is the government anti-extremism scheme that is designed to divert people from radicalisation and terrorism.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr 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.”

It is estimated that just over half (52%) of the referrals since January 2025 are for people with no fixed ideology, or no fixed ideology susceptible to radicalisation.

The next largest proportion is extreme right wing, then for a fixation with extreme violence, and then Islamist extremism.

Official government figures on the scheme are due to be released later this month.

Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana was referred to Prevent three times but his case was closed due to a lack of terrorist ideology.

Mr Taylor also warned there is not enough capacity in the system to deal with the number of mental health cases.

He said: “We need to have the capacity within the system to make those right interventions.

“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.

“So, I do think the capacity needs increasing.

“I do think the system needs strengthening and it takes that whole approach so that we can stop people being drawn into terrorism in the first instance, and that is really important when it comes to mental health, that requires some very specialist skills.

“We do work with clinicians and mental health practitioners within the Prevent programme, so we can do that.

“So, when we get mental health within Prevent, we are able to intervene with the appropriate people.

“But it needs to be a broader response with more capacity.”