Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined a string of measures the Government either has already implemented or will put in place in light of the Southport attacks.
She said that “Prevent” referrals have been reviewed, thresholds tightened and a new independent Prevent Commissioner will be appointed from tomorrow.
The Government is also consulting on removing children’s access to social media entirely and aims to ban extreme violent content online.
New knife controls have been introduced, including restrictions on online sales, a ban on ninja-style swords and zombie-style machetes and there will be mandatory Youth Offending team referrals for any child caught with a blade, she announced.
Ms Mahmood confirmed a new criminal offence would be created to close a legal gap exposed by the attack, under which planning mass violence without an ideological motive currently carries no specific charge.
She also sounded a warning about “rising numbers of young men whose minds are warped by time spent in isolation online”, with the second part of the Southport inquiry set to examine how the state identifies and manages violence-fixated individuals.
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