Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said that social media could be “a dark and dangerous place” and that as many as 20 per cent of complaints to police were about children.
He revealed some, including 11 and 12 year-olds, had been “engaging in troubling conversations” online as he admitted the threat of a terror attack in the UK is intensifying.
Detectives are most concerned by the threat of a “chaotic” extremist – possibly with poor mental health – carrying out a “lone actor” attack.
These individuals are particularly worrying for Britain’s security services because they may not appear on the radar until the very last minute.
Assistant Commissioner Jukes said: “All of that online material is part of a dangerous climate”.
The war has created a “radicalisation moment, with the potential to push people towards terrorism” in a similar way to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars 20 years ago.
“This is not simply rhetoric, we are seeing the signs of that intense risk.
“We have seen children 11 or 12 years old involved in some worrying conversations.
“It’s a spike which is higher and more sustained than ever before. The picture is of those already drawn to propaganda or others who have perhaps unknowingly stepped over the boundaries.”
Mr Jukes said potential terror attacks might not come immediately and “radicalisation can have a long tail”.
But he warned: “In my seat you tend to look at dashboards of indicators and there are needles on that dashboard that are moving in the wrong direction.”
He said: “Clearly that has been the focus in our work in recent months.
“These global events are extraordinary. We have supported our colleagues most notably in London (where there have been protest marches). This is a radicalisation moment”.
Officers have arrested 33 people for suspected terror offences since Israel was attacked by Hamas on October 7.
Seven of those have been charged.
Nineteen of the arrests were in connection with protest marches while 13 were for activity on social media.
The Met has also received 700 complaints about social media posts regarding the conflict which could be in breach of UK laws. That is a seven fold increase compared to the three months from October last year.
Assistant Commissioner Jukes also warned foreign intelligence agencies from hostile states such as Russia, China and Iran could be using organised crime gangs “on their behalf” so that they could later deny any state involvement.
It is also easier for them to operate and move across borders, detectives believe.
He also pointed to China and Russia as part of a “triple threat” to the UK.
The commander said that upcoming elections in the UK and US were potential targets for interference from foreign governments.
“There is a huge amount of disinformation online. The volume is that activity is greater than it has been in any other election year.
