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LONDON: The number of people referred to Britain’s counter-radicalisation programme Prevent soared to record levels last year, with many aged under 15, government data showed on Thursday.
Prevent has been a key strand of Britains security apparatus since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, with the aim of stopping people from going on to commit acts of violence.
However in recent years it has faced growing criticism with some of those referred to the programme carrying out terrorism attacks or other multiple murders.
According to the latest figures from October 2024 to September 2025, 9,957 individuals were referred to Prevent, up by 37pc from the previous year. The total number of referrals, which includes individuals referred more than once, rose to 10,293, an increase of 39pc. Both measures are the highest figures recorded in a single year in data going back to 2015.
