New figures show 2000 youngsters have been referred to de-radicalization scheme in Britain

Nearly 2,000 young people have been referred to a government de-radicalization program over the last four years, according to records released under Freedom of Information laws, The Daily Mail reported.

Some 415 children aged 10 and under and 1,424 children aged 11 to 15 in England and Wales were referred to the Channel scheme, figures obtained by the National Police Chiefs' Council show.

The 1,839 youngsters were earmarked for the program, set up in the wake of the 2005 London bombings to stop youngsters falling into extremism, between January 2012 and December 2015.

The children were referred over fears that they were at risk of radicalization.

Sally Bates, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said some young children had watched beheading videos with their family.

She told the BBC: ‘That does raise a number of concerns and that's where I can understand that referrals are then made from teachers.’

Since last July teachers have been legally obliged to report any suspected extremist behavior to police as part of the government's Prevent anti-radicalization strategy.

It emerged yesterday that a 10-year-old Muslim boy had been quizzed by police after mistakenly writing that he lived in a ‘terrorist house’ rather than a ‘terraced house’.

The youngster made the error during an English lesson at a school in Accrington, Lancashire, and the following day police arrived at his home to interview him and examine the family laptop.

Source: MENA