Latest news with #PreventProgramme
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
David Amess's widow claims ‘cover-up' over Prevent failures
The widow of murdered MP Sir David Amess has accused the Government of a 'cover-up' following a review into the Prevent programme's handling of the case. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, Lady Julia Amess described the review as an 'insult to Sir David's memory' and said that questions about the case can only be answered 'by way of a public inquiry'. The Amess family instructed lawyers to scrutinise Independent Prevent Commissioner Lord Anderson KC's report, with lawyers criticising how 'too much investigation ... has been conducted behind closed doors'. Hudgell Solicitors said 'too many doors have been closed when challenging questions have been raised' – highlighting that only one counter-terrorism case officer with first-hand experience of killer Ali Harbi Ali's Prevent referral was spoken to as part of the review. Ali was referred to Prevent seven years before the Islamic State fanatic stabbed the veteran MP at his constituency surgery in Essex in October 2021. He was sentenced to a whole-life order the following year. Lord Anderson's report said 'intensive' efforts have been made to improve processes within Prevent, but the 'jury is out' on some of the changes. It also said Ali was described as a ' great person ' by a counter-terrorism case officer shortly before his case was dropped by Prevent. Ms Cooper previously wrote to the Amess family, in which she said she realised the 'seriousness' of the failings in Sir David's case and that she hoped the family found Lord Anderson's report to be 'thorough and considered'. But in her letter to Ms Cooper, Lady Amess said: 'I have to say that, once again, my family has been disrespected and insulted by the Government. 'Your letter implies that you have our best interests at heart – which could not be further from the truth.' 'Whole sorry saga is a cover-up' Lady Amess continued: 'As you and the Prime Minister requested, we met with Lord Anderson during the review process. From my point of view, it was a very pleasant meeting with a man who was given a job to do and would do it to the best of his ability. 'However, it was absolutely clear to me at the time that he would be unable to give the answers we are seeking. 'He did not have the authority to 'dig below the surface' and find out exactly what happened, who is responsible for the failings (it appears there are several unidentified people) and what will be done to somehow ease the pain and suffering we are still experiencing because the truth is not being told. 'One can only conclude that this whole sorry saga is a cover-up.' She added: 'We should have been taken under the wing of the Government, cared for sympathetically and shown a little compassion. Instead, we have been treated disgracefully. 'It is an insult to Sir David's memory and, as I said during our meeting, I will fight until my dying day for my husband, our children and their children.' 'Deeply unsatisfactory' Solicitor Neil Hudgell said answers to the Amess family's questions regarding Ali's referral to Prevent 'remain deeply unsatisfactory'. He said: 'Far too much investigation into Sir David's murder and the interactions between Prevent and Ali Harbi Ali has been conducted behind closed doors, and too many doors have been closed when challenging questions have been raised in search of accountability and transparency. 'Lord Anderson did not interview any other member of the Prevent panel, which dealt with the Ali case, other than the one counter-terrorism case officer, who only consented to being interviewed on strict conditions. 'Even the coroner declined to engage with Lord Anderson, citing judicial independence. 'Answers to important questions with regard to his referral, the lack of proper intervention, follow-up sessions and review remain deeply unsatisfactory.' He added: 'A statutory public inquiry is needed as only this forum can compel witnesses to appear and give evidence under oath, and be questioned as to what was known, and why decisions were made.'
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Sir David Amess's killer called ‘great person' by Prevent officials
Sir David Amess' murderer was deemed a 'great person' by counter-terrorism officials after just one meeting, an official review of the Prevent programme has revealed. A new report has warned the Government's flagship counter-terror programme must 'up its game' in the wake of its failure to prevent the Conservative MP's assassination and the Southport attack. Lord Anderson KC, the Government's independent commissioner, has recommended the deradicalisation initiative be extended to those fascinated by extreme violence even if they have no fixed ideology. The review, looking into the cases of Sir David's killer Ali Harbi Ali and Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana, said 'intensive' efforts have since been made to improve processes, but the 'jury is out' on some of the changes. Rudakubana, who murdered three girls in his attack on a Taylor-Swift themed dance class last July, was referred to the scheme three times but his case was dismissed each time over a lack of ideological motive. Harbi Ali was also on Prevent's radar before he stabbed Sir David more than 20 times at his constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 2021. Ali was assessed as a 'Channel' case, a term reserved for those deemed most at risk of radicalisation, and assigned an 'Intervention Provider' in November 2014 to conduct seven one-hour mentoring sessions and produce three reports. The Intervention Provider met Ali for a coffee at a McDonalds in Croydon in January 2015 and deemed him a 'pleasant and informed young man', suggesting in his report 'possibly one more session for clarification'. The official noted that flagged issues concerning Ali's thoughts on music and interest on student loans breaching Islamic Law had been 'dealt with', though he would later concede in 2022 that 'the discussion was not broadened into other aspects of AHA's ideology or beliefs'. Responding to the report the next day, a counterterrorism case officer said 'he seems to be a great person' and asked the official whether an extra PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) lesson would be 'worth it'. Prevent would lose track of Ali after the singular in-person meeting, with comments made by Ali in a police interview later suggesting he had been deceiving Prevent officials. Lord Anderson said: 'AHA was adopted into Channel, but the programme of mentoring that was planned for him was allowed to peter out when it had hardly begun.' Sir David's family said they have been left 'deeply hurt and angered by the utterly dismissive tone' of a letter sent by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, informing them of the details uncovered by the report. Solicitor Chris Walker, who represents the families of the girls killed by Rudakubana, said that opportunities to intervene were lost because referrals to other agencies who could have helped Rudakubana were not followed up. He and the families expect the public inquiry into the atrocity to establish whether a different handling of the case would have led to a different outcome, adding that 'real change needs to come in order to prevent other families going through what my clients face'. 'Lord Anderson is right that lessons must be learnt and we call upon the Government and authorities to ensure they do more than simply paying lip service,' Mr Walker added. Lord Anderson's report said that approaches to understanding organised terrorist activity from the last two decades are 'insufficient' for understanding digital movements of self-radicalised extremists, whose online behaviours are 'increasingly difficult to detect and interpret'. Speaking at the Home Affairs select committee on Tuesday, Lord Anderson said the average age of a person referred to Prevent is now 16 years old, and 40 per cent are aged 11-15 so they are 'dealing here with digital natives'. Lord Anderson detailed that he heard evidence from across the country of a large increase in Prevent referrals in the first quarter of this year following the publicity of Rudakubana's case. He added that reactions to popular Netflix series Adolescence on the theme of 'incels' may have also encouraged more referrals. Some 36 per cent of Prevent referrals concern individuals deemed vulnerable but with no identifiable ideological or terrorism risk, according to figures from 2023-24. A further 19 per cent are deemed extreme Right wing and 18 per cent conflicted. Meanwhile, Islamic extremists account for three quarters of individuals on MI5's 'watchlist' and around two thirds of terrorist prisoners. Government to 'immediately act' The report recommended for a Cabinet Office task force to be set up to explore the possibility of formally connecting Prevent to a broader violence prevention and safeguarding system. It comes as the commissioner for the Commission for Countering Extremism, Robin Simcox, told the Commons' Home Affairs Committee that if Prevent shifted its focus towards taking on more cases of those with interests in extreme violence, it would mean the system 'isn't really a counter-terrorism programme any more'. He told MPs on Tuesday it would be a 'pretty fundamental shift in what Prevent is', adding: 'Prevent better brace itself for an awful lot of referrals.' Ms Cooper said the Government would 'immediately act' on findings made by Lord Anderson. In a written statement, she said Prevent thresholds would be clarified in guidance for front line workers who have a duty to refer individuals to Prevent, so they understand those fascinated with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks should be referred to the counter-terror programme. She said this work would be completed by the end of September. The Home Secretary also said work would continue to look at how Prevent connects with wider violence prevention and safeguarding efforts, and officials would work with tech companies to boost efforts to tackle online radicalisation. Ms Cooper said: 'Whilst we must look immediately at how Prevent works alongside wider safeguarding mechanisms to stop further missed opportunities, we also look forward to the outcome of the first phase of the Southport Public Inquiry, led by Sir Adrian Fulford, which will publish its findings later this year.' Responding to the report, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) senior national coordinator for prevent and pursue, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, added: 'We will now carefully reflect on the report and its recommendations, and continue to work alongside the Government, Security Services, wider policing and other partners to ensure that systems designed to keep the public safe from harm do exactly that.'
Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Counterterror officers deemed David Amess killer a ‘great person'
The killer of the Conservative MP Sir David Amess was described as a 'great person' by counter-terrorism officials amid a series of failures exposed in an official review of the Prevent programme. A report has warned that the government's flagship counterextremism scheme needs to 'up its game' after its failure to prevent Amess's murder and the Southport attack. Lord Anderson, the independent Prevent commissioner, concluded in his report that the 'jury is still out' on whether changes introduced after the two attacks will improve the way the scheme works. His review concluded that Prevent must continue to apply to dangerous individuals with a fascination with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks even if they have no fixed ideology. This conflicts with recommendations in a 2023 review of Prevent by Sir William Shawcross — which has informed the government's changes to the programme — and said that referrals should have an 'identifiable ideological element and terrorism risk'.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Astonishing transformation of award-winning student to shaven-headed 'enemy of the state' who was referred to Prevent a YEAR before he tried to stab PC to death during terrorist attack on police station
As a fresh-faced 18-year-old, Alexander Dighton won a Wales-wide competition in advanced mechanical engineering. At the time, the robotics enthusiast had aspirations to join the RAF as an engineer. Yet just a decade later he had been transformed into a self-confessed 'enemy of the state'. On January 31 this year – by now bearded and shaven-headed – the one-time star student single-handedly stormed a police station in one of the most peaceful parts of South Wales. Armed with home-made weapons including a hatchet, he set a police van alight before hitting one officer and stabbing another, shouting: 'I'm fed up, I'm done'. Attempts to overcome him with a Taser proved useless due to his thick, insulated body armour. But despite their injuries the unarmed officers bravely overpowered Dighton, who later told police: 'I've been damned from birth.' As the 28-year-old starts a 22-year jail sentence, questions are now being asked over his frightening transformation into softly-spoken, pipe-smoking airport worker to would-be police killer. It can be revealed that Dighton was referred to the Government's under-fire counter-extremism Prevent programme by worried relatives 12 months before the attack. In what almost proved a fatal misjudgement, he was assessed as not posing a serious risk and left to his own devices. Dighton continued to radicalise himself in his tiny one-bedroomed flat in South Wales where neighbours would see him exercising in the courtyard at 4am. He started planning his attack on Talbot Green police station near Pontypridd a month before turning up with home-made weapons, saying afterwards: 'Blood had to be spilled.' Following his terrifying rampage, a family member warned of a 'systemic failure' in tackling the threat posed by self-radicalised loners. They compared Dighton to Axel Rudakubana – who stabbed three children to death at a Southport dance class – and Jake Davison - who shot five people dead in Plymouth – who were both also referred to Prevent before launching their massacres. 'If all these individuals had Prevent referrals in place, why are the police not intervening, when it's the people closest to them making these referrals?' the relative asked. Like Nicholas Prosper – who plotted to shoot primary school children in Luton – and Otley Run attacker Owen Lawrence, Dighton appears to have radicalised himself by viewing graphic and extreme content online. His narrowly-averted attempted massacre is the latest example of the threat posed by violence-obsessed loners motivated by no coherent ideology. At the age of 18, Dighton was studying engineering and parametric modelling at two colleges in South Wales. He later moved to Preston, Lancashire before vanishing following a breakdown, leaving all his belongings behind in May 2022. That prompted his worried family to report him missing to police. They believe he may be autistic, although it is understood he was never formally diagnosed. Returning to South Wales, Dighton moved into a one-bed flat in a new-build housing association estate in Llantrisant, a five-minute drive from the police station he would go onto attack. He got a job manufacturing inflatable evacuation slides for aeroplanes at Cardiff Airport, cycling the 12-mile journey to work as he didn't own a car. Neighbours on the well-tended development likened him to Sherlock Holmes because of his penchant for wearing an old-fashioned suit and greenish-brown waistcoat while smoking tobacco with a pipe. He was also fond of a round "Amish-style" hat and used an old bicycle inner-tube as a belt for his trousers, telling some how he wished he had been born in the 1800s. Dighton told them he 'wanted kids but he wasn't interested in women'. Police chiefs have praised the bravery and professionalism of the five officers who came face-to-face with Dighton on the night of the attack The flat was completely unfurnished, lacking even curtains, and he slept on the floor in a sleeping bag. Neighbours nevertheless described him as 'pleasant' and having 'a heart of gold'. "I'd see him in the morning smoking his pipe, and he'd doff his hat and say, 'Good morning to you, sir. Do you want anything up the shop?'' one said. But they became increasingly worried about conspiracy theories he would spout after staying up late delving the darker corners of the internet. 'He'd stay up all through the night,' said one. 'He didn't have a TV but he'd be gaming and watching things on the internet." In January 2024 – 12 months before he went on the rampage – a relative referred Dighton to Prevent. The same family member contacted South Wales Police a fortnight before the attack with concerns about his behaviour. Ahead of his sentencing they branded it a 'systematic failure'. 'It was highlighted to all the right people and it wasn't prevented,' the relative said. 'It raises the question: are police well-staffed enough? And mental health services that could have helped Alex have been cut. 'This was preventable. There has to be a policy change somewhere with regards to these radicalised individuals. The Prevent referrals are not preventing attacks.' In the run-up to his rampage Dighton's behaviour became increasingly erratic. 'He was on about children getting sex education at the age of three," said the neighbour. 'And the police being child molesters and perverts. 'He told us he was on the dark web and he was 'looking into it deep''. 'He would talk about the government, then move onto the police, and then onto gaming, and then back to paedophiles. 'He had a massive problem with authority.' Around this time Dighton began posting racist on X – formerly Twitter – under the profile @VulkantheJust, an apparent reference to a Warhammer character. His profile has a blue tick awarded to users with a paid-for subscription, extending the reach of their posts. His bio reads: 'Dammed [sic] before Birth.' While his messages are only visible to followers, one user who responded branded him a 'little twit who thinks his failures are somehow the fault of 12 year old girls'. Neighbours believe a trigger for Dighton 'cracking' was a dispute with a man who lived in the area. They claim Dighton made allegations that the man had been smoking drugs but that police did not take any action. Dighton's anger grew and on July 29 last year he committed a public order offence against the man, later receiving a conditional discharge. His fixation on police intensified as he repeatedly complained they 'only see the things they want to see'. One neighbour said a relative of Dighton had urged him to see a GP about his mental health but he refused and told the family member 'not to bother' with him anymore. Despite receiving a promotion at work, around a month before launching the police attack he unexpectedly quit his job. Neighbours said police attended over concerns for Dighton's welfare but he confronted officers, shouting: 'P*** off, don't come here.' The day before the attack he shaved his hair - which neighbours said had grown to resemble Doc Brown from Back to the Future – and spent part of the night pacing back and forth outside the flats, smoking his pipe. Condemning his 'disgusting' actions, one said: 'Why, Alex? The police were only doing their job. 'I am really gutted.' In March Dighton - who represented himself - pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a police officer. He also admitted attempted grievous bodily harm, battery, attempted arson, possession of an offensive weapon, two bladed article offences and two of damaging property. The Old Bailey heard that searches of Dighton's home uncovered journals revealing his fixation on anti-immigrant ideology. Counter-terror police admit he slipped through the net – but insist there was nothing to suggest what he was planning. Det Supt Andrew Williams, head of counter terrorism policing in Wales, said there was nothing to suggest he would go on to carry out such an 'horrific' attack. Dighton was assessed by specialist officers over a three-week period over anti-immigration and anti-Islam views as well an interest in the involuntary celibate 'incel' movement. 'They interviewed him at length, they undertook due diligence checks and the conclusion was he did not meet the criteria required for inclusion onto the prevent programme,' he said. 'I must stress that there was absolutely no information or evidence that would suggest he would attack anyone let alone police officers outside Talbot Green as he did a year later.' Dighton was heavily into the Dark Web and also obsessed with the fantasy game Warhammer where armoured miniature warriors use a variety of weapons to battle their foes. He was wearing insulating body armour on the night he struck, and when officers tried to Taser him the electric shock had no effect. Pepper spray also failed to incapacitate him. Dighton was carrying an axe, a hatchet, a pole with two blades attached to it and a knife along with a Molotov cocktail which he hurled at police as they came towards him. Det Supt Williams said Dighton had developed a 'very firm hatred of the state' over his anti-immigration views and 'saw the police as a legitimate target' as a 'representative of the state'. He had begun planning the police station attack around a month earlier, procuring the body armour plus an axe, hatchet, and knife. Det Supt Williams said due to the short timescale 'I don't think there is anything that could have been done differently'. Interviewed by police afterwards, Dighton said he wanted 'to do the maximum damage and cause as much injury to others as he possibly could' and that 'blood had to be spilled.' Nicholas Prosper (left) who plotted to shoot primary school children in Luton after murdering his mother and siblings and Otley Run attacker Owen Lawrence (right) both radicalised themselves by viewing graphic and extreme content online Detectives are in no doubt that he took his inspiration from the internet, gaming and far-right forums, saying he struggled to separate reality from fantasy. Det Supt Williams said: 'He was a lonely individual, with challenges of his own, and he had ready access to material which is readily available online. 'He was a very keen gaming enthusiast and in some of his interviews he referred to the Warhammer type games. 'He identified with characters in that gaming methodology. 'It's a sad indictment of where we are that that stuff is readily accessible and he was freely able to discuss with other like-minded individuals online about their opinions, their thoughts and their mindset. Det Supt Williams said 'lessons were always learned' when individuals like Dighton target the state for terrorist attacks. 'It is a very complex and detailed world that our officers operate in and are required to prioritise and make decisions based on assessments that they undertake on a daily basis,' he said. Nevertheless the case will increase pressure to reform the Prevent strategy, which saw 6,884 referrals in the 12 months to March 2024 – two-fifths relating to children 15 and under. Killers found to have been dismissed too readily by Prevent teams include Islamic State supporter Ali Harbi Ali who stabbed Conservative MP Sir David Amess to death during a constituency surgery at a church hall in Leigh-on-Sea. Following the Southport dance studio attack a rapid review found Axel Rudakubana's referral had been 'closed prematurely'. The Home Office is examining how to strengthen Prevent, including how it responds to cases where mental ill-health is a factor. Chief Superintendent Stephen Jones, lead officer for Mid Glamorgan, praised the bravery and professionalism of the five officers who came face-to-face with Dighton on the night of the attack. He said: 'The courage displayed by all officers is truly commendable, but it is important to recognise the profound impact these events have had on the officers themselves, their families and the wider community. 'Each officer is not just a public servant but a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter or a parent and their families are undoubtedly deeply affected by incidents such as these on a daily basis. 'Such an incident against our officers at their workplace serves as a stark reminder of the risks that can arise unexpectedly.'
The Independent
13-06-2025
- The Independent
Man who attacked officers with Molotov cocktail had been referred to Prevent
A man who had an 'extreme anti-government mindset' and attacked police officers armed with an axe and a Molotov cocktail, had been referred to an anti-terror programme a year earlier, police have said. Alexander Dighton, 28, attacked three officers on January 31 at Talbot Green police station in south Wales, stabbing one in the leg and punching another in the head. He attempted to set fire to police cars and used a variety of weapons in the incident, including a knife, a hatchet and a pole with sharpened metal plates fixed to the end. Senior police officers have now revealed that Dighton, who was described as a 'lonely' individual, had been referred to the Prevent programme 12 months before he carried out the attack, following concerns about his views on immigration and Islam. Despite the referral by his sister, it was decided that Dighton, who spent a lot of time online expressing far-right views and playing computer games, 'did not meet the criteria' to be included on the scheme. Detective Superintendent Andrew Williams of counter terrorism policing Wales said: 'Our investigations show that Dighton was motivated by an extreme anti-government mindset. 'He had extreme anti-immigration views, he had anti-Islam views, and he saw the police as a legitimate target, in his words as 'representatives or agents of the state'. 'Dighton was known to us. 'He was referred into the Prevent programme or for assessment by the Prevent programme in January 2024, 12 months before the attack took place. 'The concerns expressed in that referral were around his immigration views, his views around the religion of Islam and some sentiments he had expressed in relation to the involuntary celibate, or 'incel' movement.' The incel movement is made of people who find themselves unsuccessful in relationships, often blaming women, with some harbouring extreme views. Mr Williams said counter terrorism officers undertook a 'detailed assessment' over a three-week period during the referral, including interviewing Dighton, before the case was closed. He said: 'There was nothing in that referral or in the subsequent assessment that would give any indication whatsoever that Dighton would go on to commit an offence of the nature he did.' Mr Williams said the police have received 30,000 referrals in the last few years and 'judgement calls have to be made'. 'Alexander Dighton was a lonely individual who spent a lot of time online, he had a particular fascination with an online game called Warhammer (40K),' he said. 'He was also online, expressing a number of what could be deemed far-right views. 'In his own words, he formed the intention to carry out this attack approximately a month beforehand and his online activity ramped up in that month. 'Without a doubt, I suspect the online world highly contributed to what he did.' Mr Williams added that Dighton never published an account of what he planned to do before the incident, and he did not believe there had been prior contact with him before he was referred to Prevent.
