Terror police quiz boy aged 15 for looking up Ukip website in school

A TEENAGE boy was left ‘feeling like a terrorist’ after anti-extremism police questioned him for looking at Ukip’s website at school.

Joe Taylor, 15, was reported to officers by teachers who also discovered he had looked at BBC footage of a march by the English Defence League.

Staff at Wildern School in Hedge End, Hampshire, acted on the Government’s counter-terror Prevent scheme that obliges schools to monitor children and report signs of extremism.

But the teenager’s family said the action left them ‘dumbfounded’. His father Mick, 52, said neither he nor his son had been involved with the EDL and pointed out that Ukip was a mainstream political party.

He added: ‘We are turning into a police state and I am worried that everyone is being snooped on now. Ukip is being flagged as an extremist website, like Islamic State. But have they ever beheaded anyone?’

Under the Prevent scheme, which aims to curb recruitment by Islamic terrorists, teachers are obliged to report signs of any type of radicalisation to the authorities.

The pupil had searched the Ukip website immediately after his class had discussed issues around terrorism. Teachers reported their ‘safeguarding concerns’ to police and Joe was referred to a specialist team whose usual brief is preventing vulnerable youngsters from being groomed by IS.

He was questioned by a police officer and his head teacher about looking at the political party’s website, as well as BBC footage of an EDL march in Luton in December.

Mr Taylor, who supports Ukip, said he was called into school and was astonished by suggestions that his son might be linked to the EDL because he had been ‘visiting politically incorrect websites’.

He said both he and his son were asked about their views on immigration and he was even asked if his son was a political activist.

The window cleaner added: ‘When they told me the Ukip website had been flagged, I said, “Say that again? I voted for them and I am dumbfounded”. They asked my son “What are your views?” and Joe said there are too many people coming in the country and Ukip could do a better job of running it.’ The school said it took advice from the police after staff noticed the pupil viewing the sites. Head teacher MarieLouise Litton said: ‘I wish to make it absolutely clear that the decision to pursue the matter further was not made by the school.’

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: ‘The school contacted us in good faith and in complete accordance with their safeguarding procedures. We have a duty to respond to these concerns and we spoke to the pupil and his father informally about comments and internet usage at school. No issues were identified and the matter is closed.’ No further action was taken against Joe.

Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall reacted angrily to the suggestion that the party’s website was flagged up as extremist. He said: ‘I don’t know how you can be extremists when you have 22 MEPs, a Member of Parliament, three lords and 500 councillors all over the country.’