Record referrals to Prevent anti-terror programme

A record number of referrals were made to the government's anti-terrorism scheme Prevent in the year to March 2025, according to new data.

Referrals to Prevent, which can be made by schools, the police, local authorities or the public, rose by more than a quarter to 8,778.

In the majority of cases, where a type of concern for the referral was noted, most specified "no ideology identified" or "no ideology – other susceptibility to radicalisation identified".

A review into Prevent and the Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana found the scheme "prematurely" closed its case into him, due to there being no evidence that he had a fixed ideology or motivation.

Rudakubana, who killed three girls and stabbed others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July last year, had been referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021.

The review found that counter-terrorism officers staffing the scheme had "sufficient information" to escalate Rudakubana's case to the next stage which would have included enhanced monitoring.

At the time it was published, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: "The review concluded that too much focus was placed on the absence of a distinct ideology, to the detriment of considering the perpetrator's susceptibility, grievances and complex needs."

The review led to the resignation of Michael Stewart, the head of Prevent, in March this year.

Home Office data found that there had been an increase in referrals to Prevent around the time of Rudakubana's crime and his trial where he was found guilty and sentenced to 52 years in jail in January.

Between 29 July last year, when the attack happened, and 31 March, the Home Office said referrals to Prevent rose by 34% to 6,350 compared to the same period the year before.

In the release, the Home Office said that "trends cannot be directly attributed to the Southport attack".

However, Lord David Anderson KC, who oversaw the review into Prevent, noted he had heard evidence from across the country of a "large increase in referrals" following the publicity of Rudakubana's case.

He also cited the TV show Adolescence, released in March 2025, as a possible driver in referrals which, in total, rose by 27% to 8,778 from 6,922 the previous year.

The latest data showed that children aged between 11 and 15 years old represented the largest proportion of referrals - 3,192 cases or 36% of the total - where the individual's age was known.

Individuals aged 16 to 17 made up the second highest share of referrals, at 1,178 cases. Rudakubana was 17 at the time of his crime.

There were also 345 referrals for children younger than 10.

Outside of "no ideology identified" or "no ideology – other susceptibility to radicalisation identified" categories, the biggest concern noted in referrals was "extreme right-wing" ideology.

There were 1,798 referrals citing "extreme right-wing" concerns, which the Home Office found was higher than those related to "Islamist extremism" which was noted in 870 referrals.

For referrals where ethnicity was specified, the majority - 2,747 individuals - were recorded as white. Below that, 798 people who were referred were cited as Asian and 320 were recorded as black.

Prevent, which forms a key part of the UK's counter-terror strategy, places a legal duty on public bodies to identify people who may turn to extremism.

The Home Office figures are for England and Wales. Scotland reports its referral figures separately and, like England and Wales, saw the latest numbers reach a record high.