Newspaper publishes leaked memo from West Midlands counter-terrorism unit
CHILDREN as young as four are being monitored for signs of brainwashing by Islamic extremists, it has been revealed.
A leaked memo from West Midlands Police suggested there was “evidence” that “radicalisation can take place from the age of 4,” The Times newspaper reported today.
The revelation comes amidst growing criticism over the Government’s anti-extremism strategy, Prevent, which many claim encourages the public to spy on Muslims.
In an e-mail to community groups, an officer in the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit wrote: “I do hope that you will tell me about persons, of whatever age, you think may have been radicalised or be vulnerable to radicalisation … Evidence suggests that radicalisation can take place from the age of 4.”
The police unit confirmed to the Times that counter-terrorist officers specially trained in identifying children and young people vulnerable to radicalisation had visited nursery schools.
But the move has been widely condemned. Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, said that it ran the risk of “alienating even more people”.
