Number of people referred to Prevent programme for far-right extremism soars 36%

The number of people referred to the government's Prevent anti-extremism programme because of links to right-wing extremism has shown a sharp rise.

Statistics for the 12 months to March this year show a 36% increase in extreme far-right referrals, a continuation of the upward trend seen since 2015.

Overall, 7,318 people were flagged up and referred to the Prevent programme.

That overall figure marks a 20% rise on the 6,093 people referred to prevent the year before.

Of the 7,318 individuals referred in 2017/18:

:: 3,096 (42%) left the process requiring no further action;

:: 2,902 (40%) left the process and were signposted to alternative services.

:: 1,314 (18%) were deemed suitable, through preliminary assessment, to be discussed by a panel at the Channel programme, which provides support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.

In 2017/18, 1,312 people were referred to Prevent for concerns related to right-wing extremism, compared with 968 right-wing related referrals in the 12 months before.

Referrals for concerns related to Islamist extremism decreased by 14% over the same time, with 3,197 referrals in the year to March, compared with 3,704 the year before.

Of the five terrorist attacks which struck London and Manchester last year, only one was related to right-wing extremism.

Darren Osborne, a 48-year-old from Cardiff, drove his rented van into a group of Muslim worshippers near Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, killing one man and injuring 12 others. He was jailed for at least 43 years in February.

However, police and security officials have warned of the growing rise of the far-right and the increase in the number of far-right extremists willing to engage in violence.