A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in south London on suspicion of a far-right terror plot.
Police detained the teenager on Friday, January 7, as part of what the Metropolitan Police described as a ‘proactive operation’.
Officers reportedly visited an address in south London on Friday morning and arrested the teen, who has not been named, on suspicion of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command said, ‘A 15-year-old boy was detained under PACE after being arrested on suspicion of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts (contrary to Section 5 Terrorism Act 2006). Searches at the address have concluded.’
The spokesperson assured there is ‘not believed to be any imminent threat to the public in relation to this’.
They added:
The ongoing investigation is suspected to be linked to extreme right wing ideology.
Every year thousands of reports from the public help the police keep communities safe from terrorism. If you see or hear anything suspicious or of concern, then it can be reported to police, in confidence, via 0800 789 321 or online at www.gov.uk/ACT.
In an emergency, or if you need urgent police assistance, always dial 999. Visit the ACT Early website – https://actearly.uk/ – to find out how you can seek help and support for anyone who you suspect has been radicalised, or is vulnerable.
Children make up one in eight of those arrested on suspicion of terror offences in Britain, The Independent reports, with Dean Haydon, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, saying that the profile of terrorists has ‘completely changed’ in the past few years due to the ways attacks are planned and carried out.
He commented:
The main threat we currently see is from people within this country that are being self-radicalised.
The profile of a terrorist has completely changed, and that comes back to how the threat has changed. We are dealing with individuals who are self-radicalised, that are looking at extremist materials online.
The 15-year-old has been bailed to a date in February.
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Topics: News, London, right-wing, Terrorism
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