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Prevent Referrals Hit Record 8,778 After Spike Linked to Southport Case

Officials link the surge to post‑Southport vigilance, warning the programme lacks capacity for increasingly complex cases.

Overview

  • Home Office data show 8,778 referrals in 2024/25, a 27% rise year on year, including a quarterly record of 3,287 between January and March.
  • Children made up 54% of cases, with 11–15-year-olds accounting for 36% and 345 referrals involving children aged 10 or under.
  • Cases with no identified ideology comprised 56% of referrals; among identified ideologies, extreme right‑wing concerns were 21% versus 10% for Islamist, and “violent fixation” reports jumped sharply in early 2025.
  • For the first time, 34% of referrals were recorded with a mental health or neurodiversity condition, including 14% with autism, drawing capacity warnings from senior counter‑terrorism leaders.
  • Channel activity increased, with 1,727 individuals discussed and 1,472 adopted, as education generated 36% of referrals and police and local authority referrals rose to 30% and 895 respectively.