Report highlights missed chances over Rudakubana

TERRORISM REFERRAL 'SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESCALATED'

- By BEN HASLAM

KILLER Axel Rudakubana’s referral to counter terrorism police should have been escalated, a new review has found.

Just under a year ago, the murderer targeted a Taylor Swift-themed workshop in Southport where he killed three young girls and injured a further eight, as well as two adults.

After he pleaded guilty to the murders and several other offences at Liverpool Crown Court in January this year, it was revealed that Rudakubana had been reported to Prevent, a task force spearheaded by Counter Terror Policing, three times ahead of the attack.

The first referral to Prevent came in 2019 when he was enrolled at The Acorns School in Ormskirk after his exclusion from Range High School in Formby. He was permanently removed from the school after he told Childline he was taking a knife into school for what he claimed was his own protection. He later admitted to taking a knife onto the school premises on 10 separate occasions.

During his time at the special educational needs school in West Lancashire, he was found to have displayed violent behaviour and openly discussed guns.