Terrorism, extremism and the Prevent strategy

Help prevent terrorism and save lives

If you are worried that someone you know might be at risk of getting involved in terrorism - don’t rely on others to report it. 
Please report any concerns you have about anyone, adult or child, who you think may be vulnerable to being drawn into extremism. You can help us prevent terrorism and save lives.

Spotting the signs

You may be in a position to identify and support someone who is vulnerable to becoming involved in extremism or terrorism. 

There is no single type of person likely to become involved in terrorism or extremism and the process of radicalisation is different for every individual. Signs that someone is being recruited into extremism are numerous.

You can report your concerns in one of these ways:

  • contact Police Scotland by dialling 101
  • email the East Lothian Council SPoC's listed below
  • if you are a young person in education - talk to a member of staff at your school or college
  • report your concerns anonymously to CrimeStoppers: 0800 555 111
  • call the anti-terrorism hotline:  0800 789 321
  • if it is an emergency - always dial 999

We understand that reporting these kinds of concerns can be difficult - so your call is handled in confidence by professionals who are trained in public protection.

There is a dedicated professional in the council called the SPoC (Single Point of Contact), who will make enquiries and discuss a plan of action about your concern. They might decide to hold a meeting of the confidential Prevent Multi Agency Panel (PMAP). The PMAP can help people make positive choices about their lives to divert them away from negative extremist influence and criminality. This group is based on existing multi-agency working between local authority partners and aims to: 1. provide early intervention measures that support people who are at risk of radicalisation and 2. provide practical support tailored to the needs of the individual.

If you have any concerns that a young person or adult is vulnerable to radicalisation, please contact the council’s Prevent single point of contact (SPoC) or depute SPoC. The SPoC for Prevent is:

The depute SPoCs are:

The Prevent strategy

The strategy aims to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism: read more about it on the Police Scotland website.