Chilling warning ’2,489 people like Axel Rudakubana’ at large in Britain as ‘concerning’ figure laid bare

A counter-terror expert has warned that nearly 2,500 people similar to triple murderer Axel Rudakubana could be at large in Britain.

Speaking on GB News, Philip Ingram highlighted “concerning” statistics about referrals to the government’s Prevent programme.

His comments came hours after Rudakubana was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 52 years for murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.

“That means there could be another 2,489 individuals like him out there because nobody else will have picked those individuals up,” Ingram said.

Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe at the Hart Space studio last July.

He also admitted attempting to murder eight other children and two adults during the attack.

The court heard how Rudakubana had possessed an Al-Qaeda training manual and produced the biological toxin ricin.

During today’s sentencing, he repeatedly disrupted proceedings by demanding to see paramedics, leading one family member to brand him a “coward”.

Ingram criticised what he called excessive concerns about “data protection and wokeism” in handling such cases.

“Too many people are too protective about data protection and wokeism and everything else,” he told GB News.

He suggested racial considerations may have affected the response to Rudakubana’s case.

“If this had been someone who was a white man attacking a black man, then I think there would have been more robust action taken more quickly,” Ingram said.

According to Ingram, up to March 2024 there were 6,922 referrals to the Prevent programme.

He highlighted that Rudakubana fell into the “vulnerability present but no ideology” category, which represented the largest proportion of referrals.

This category accounted for 2,489 individuals, prompting Ingram’s warning about others who may pose similar risks.

“It’s not a perfect process, but it’s better than nothing. It tends to work,” he said of the Prevent programme.

The ITV investigation revealed Rudakubana was known to police, courts, counter-extremism programmes, social services and mental health agencies before the attack.

He had been permanently excluded from school after telling Childline he was bringing a knife for protection.

Police had visited his home multiple times between 2019 and 2022, including four calls about his behaviour.

He had also been referred to Prevent three times after expressing interest in school shootings, the London Bridge attack, and other violent topics.