A record number of suspected extremists were referred to the Government’s Prevent scheme following the Southport atrocity, alarming new figures show.
Some 8,778 cases were referred to experts, a 27% increase from 6,922 in 2023/24, according to new data published by the Home Office.
The figures show a shocking rise in young people feared to hold radical views and a sharp increase in people fascinated with extreme violence and mass casualty attacks.
And there was a huge surge in referrals following the Southport atrocity, Home Office figures show.
The Home Office said: “In the period from 29 July 2024 to 31 March 2025, there were 6,350 referrals made to Prevent.
“This represents a large increase of 34% (up from 4,722 referrals) compared to the same period in the year ending March 2024 and 37% increase (up from 4,647 referrals) compared with the same period in the year ending March 2023.”
Southport monster Axel Rudakubana was first referred to Prevent over his fascination with school massacres and violence.
He even used school computers to look up details of mass killings.
The teenager also researched terrorist attacks in the UK, including the Islamist atrocities in 2017 in London.
While officials believed his behaviour was concerning, it did not meet the threshold for further intervention.
He was judged three times not to pose a terrorism risk.
The twisted killer went on to murder Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, as well as the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Officials believe the Southport atrocity highlighted how some are obsessed with horrific violence, leading to more people referring potential extremists to counter-terrorism officials about their sick fascination with death.
And some are terrified of missing another monster who is yet to display hardened ideologies, which could have meant they slipped through the net.
Some 469 people were referred due to concerns about their “fascination with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks”, including 279 in January, February and March alone.
This corresponded with the Government admitting numerous agencies “failed to identify the terrible risk” Rudakubana posed.
And Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in January that violent “psychopaths” fantasising about committing atrocities could revel in being labelled terrorists.
This led to a debate about whether the definition of terrorism should be expanded to cover mass casualty attacks.
Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed ministers will order a public inquiry to “get to the truth about what happened and what needs to change.”
More than one in five, 1,798, referred to Prevent were believed to hold extreme right wing ideology – double the number of cases, 870, linked to Islamist extremist.
The findings will prompt renewed debate over the programme’s failure to pick up potential jihadists when Islamist terror remains the biggest threat in the UK.
Senior Tory MP and former Home Office adviser Nick Timothy said: “The Director General of MI5 has made clear that Islamist terrorism represents three quarters of his workload.
“Yet under the Prevent programme – supposedly about stopping people becoming terrorists – only ten per cent of referrals are for Islamism. This shows what we already know – Prevent has gone badly wrong and needs to be better targeted.”
The proportion of referrals for extreme right-wing concerns increased year on year slightly, from 19% to 21%, while the proportion for Islamist extremism fell from 13% to 10%.
Of the 8,759 referrals to Prevent where the age of the individual was known, 11 to 15-year-olds accounted for the largest proportion (3,192 or 36%), followed by 16-17-year-olds (1,178, or 13%).
There were 345 referrals (4% of the total) for children aged 10 or under.
Home Office figures show a sharp rise in referrals to Prevent by police.
Following initial screening and assessment, Prevent referrals who are deemed at risk of radicalisation may be passed to a multi-agency “Channel panel”.
Chaired by local authorities, these panels determine the extent of a person’s susceptibility to radicalisation and whether a tailored package of support is necessary and proportionate to address the risk.
Of the 8,778 referrals made to Prevent in the year to March 2025, 1,727 individuals were discussed at a Channel panel and 1,472 were adopted as a Channel case.
Individuals aged between 11 and 15 accounted for 39% of all cases adopted as a Channel case.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “We must direct people away from the dangerous path of radicalisation – whether it be Islamist ideology, Extreme Right-Wing or those seeking mass violence.
“Prevent has diverted 6,000 people away from violent ideologies, stopping terrorists, keeping our streets and country safe.”
