A specialist anti-terror police unit has removed around 250,000 pieces of extremist propaganda from the internet since its launch six years ago.
The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has contacted around 300 companies around the world to remove material that includes beheadings, speeches urging violence and bombmaking instructions.
It trawls the web searching for extremist content as well as investigating reports from the public. This year, officers removed more than 121,151 pieces of extremist material, more than double the 55,556 last year.
The initiative aims to fight back against Islamic State’s use of the internet to gain recruits and incite acts of terror.
In recent years an increasing number of “lone wolf” fanatics convicted of terrorism are believed to have been radicalised online.
Detective Chief Superintendent Clarke Jarrett of the Counter Terrorism Command said: “Removing this material is crucial work.
“One post or video has the power to influence vulnerable people and inspire extremists and terrorists, so every removal really counts.
“This landmark [250,000] figure is a result of our productive relationship with service providers, partners and counterparts nationally and globally.
“The public has played a key part in helping us to identify and seek the removal of so much damaging material, so I thank everyone who has reported material to us and urge the public to continue doing so.”
Anyone who sees content that they suspect is extremist or terrorist is urged to report it by filling in a short and anonymous form at gov.uk/report-terrorism, where they will be asked to enter the address of the webpage on which they saw it.
standard.co.uk