A 14-year-old boy has been arrested near Twickenham as part of an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

The boy was arrested on Wednesday 22 May at an address in west London on suspicion of possessing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said: "This arrest is indicative of a continuing and concerning trend of young people being drawn into and involved in terrorist-related activity.

"Around a fifth of all those arrested for terrorism offences last year were aged under 18."

Commander Murphy is urging parents, friends and family to be looking out for any warning signs that a child might be getting drawn into extremism or terrorism, and to contact the Met "for advice and support before it is too late".

The police have said anyone with concerns about somebody who may be vulnerable to radicalisation can visit the ACT Early website www.actearly.uk, or call the ACT Early Support Line between 9am and 5pm daily on 0800 011 3764 to share any concerns with specially trained officers in confidence.

The 14-year-old boy was taken to a west London police station and was later released on bail to a date in early August pending further enquiries. The investigation is related to extreme right-wing terrorist material.

As part of the investigation, officers also carried out a search at an address in west London and enquiries remain ongoing.

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