EIGHT people are being referred to deradicalisation schemes every day as authorities identify a rising number of potential extremists.

Between June and August this year, 796 individuals - including more than 300 aged under 18 - were reported to the Government's Channel programme for possible intervention, new statistics obtained by the Press Association reveal.

It comes after new measures were introduced placing a legal requirement on public bodies including schools and councils to stop people being drawn into terrorism, as part of efforts to counter the capacity of groups such as Islamic State (IS) to recruit young Britons.

In July, when the law came into force, there were 349 referrals - a rate of more than 10 every day.

This was a slight increase on the previous month, when there were 327, while the number fell to 120 in August when schools were broken up for the summer.

Some 312 of those referred over the three months were aged under 18 - more than a third of the total.

To read more, click here.