February 23
00:49
2016
The figures from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPPC), which were released to the BBC, show that 2,003 under-18s were referred to the Channel programme last year, two-thirds of them over concerns they were vulnerable to recruitment by extremist Islamist groups such as Islamic State. Channel was set up after the 7 July, 2005 London bombings to coordinate efforts by government agencies to identify children who may be vulnerable recruitment by gangs or extremist groups. According to the NPPC, between 2007 and 2014 there were 3934 referrals to the Channel process, an average of 562 a year.
