A former senior counter-terrorism police officer is the new head of the UK’s Prevent anti-radicalisation programme.
Tim Jacques will take over from David Anderson following MPs' concern that the scheme is outdated and unable to face the challenges posed by online extremism.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the appointment of Mr Jacques in the wake of the findings from an inquiry into the murder of three young girls by Axel Rudakubana, in Southport, north-west England.
Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent three times before the attack on July 29, 2024, the inquiry heard.
Mr Jacques is a former deputy assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism policing and has served as senior national co-ordinator for Prevent and for Pursue, which focuses on disrupting specific planned terrorist attacks. He has also worked with youth charities.
As Independent Prevent Commissioner he will bring independent, objective oversight and scrutiny of the programme and its effectiveness.
“I believe the British public want a system that is understandable, accessible, coherent and consistently applied, in a fair and non-discriminatory way,” he said.
“Most of all, we need a system that works, as best as it possibly can, in preventing terrorist atrocities and terrorist-motivated offending, with all the ensuing human cost, and wider societal impact.”
A recent report from the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee said extremist online content is fast-evolving with new subcultures that promote anti-Semitism, misogyny and violence.
The risk to children and young people is acute but poor understanding of extremism is inhibiting the government response, the report said.
“Prevent remains the go-to mechanism for dealing with individuals considered at risk but is outdated and inadequately prepared to deal with modern extremism challenges in the digital world,” said the MPs.
In a statement to MPs, Ms Mahmood said the government had reviewed Prevent, published updated guidance and lowered the threshold for when an individual is put into a de-radicalisation programme.
Southport Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford said on Monday that police officers had been “hampered” by a lack of clarity on whether they should take action against someone who demonstrated signs of being fixated on violence but without adherence to a particular ideology.
Ms Mahmood said: “Unlike terrorist attacks, if you are planning an attack without an underlying ideology, there is no crime on the statute book.”
She suggested legislation to fill this gap would “be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows”.
“The inquiry also identifies a wider issue – there are rising numbers of young men who are fascinated by extreme violence, boys whose minds are warped by time spent in isolation online,” said the Home Secretary.
“This is a risk to us all. Where someone is vulnerable to terrorism, they can and should be managed through the Prevent programme. However, where they are not, there is no clear approach to that risk.”
Mr Anderson was acting Independent Prevent Commissioner and had taken over from Michael Stewart, who resigned in February 2025, following a report into Prevent’s failings over Rudakubana.
Mr Anderson was asked by then home secretary Yvette Cooper to look at Rudakubana's case and the demands for an inquiry into Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered MP Sir David Amess in 2021.
Harbi Ali was first referred to Prevent as a teenager in 2014, amid concerns he was being drawn towards extreme Islamist ideology.
