David Cameron will ban suspected extremists from working with children

Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to ban any suspected extremists from working in close proximity to children.

As part of a new strategy to deal with radicalisation, Cameron will extend powers that allow parents to request the cancellation of passports for their children if they are suspected of wanting to travel to fight for Islamic State (Isis), increasing the age limit from under 16s to under 18s.

While Home Secretary Theresa May admitted only a small number of parents had used the powers so far, she insisted it would be a useful tool.

She said: “If you talk to, as I have, parents of young people who have been on the path to radicalisation, or perhaps parents, as I have heard from, who have children who have gone out to Syria, some of whom have died out there fighting, then they are saying that they want to see more action taken.

“I’m not pretending that any of this is easy. Of course this is difficult, but the government has a choice here. We can either say ‘well, this is difficult so let’s not do anything’ or we can say ‘well, actually it is difficult, but this is so important that we need to take action’.”

May continued to say that Britain was facing an unprecedented problem of extremism and that this was a social problem distinct from terrorism.

Cameron’s new counter-extremism strategy will build on powers he set out in July to force public sector organisations to boycott groups or individuals listed as extremist, introduce ‘extremism disruption orders’ on those seeking to radicalise young people online, close mosques where extremist meetings have taken place and strengthen the powers available to the media regulator to sanction channels that broadcast extremist content.

The Prime Minister also announced that madrassas and other religious bodies which teach children intensively would face inspection.

Writing on Facebook, Cameron said the government 'needs to support Muslims who are confronting the extremist narrative and providing a positive alternative’.

He proposed to 'offer all the protection, funding, practical help and support we possibly can', including £5m this year to community groups to reach more young people.

He appealed 'more, far more, people to come forward' from Muslim communities to help tackle radicalisation and repeated his appeal to the 'silent majority' to help put forward liberal, tolerant and inclusive Islam.

The counter extremist strategy is being published as the government drafts two new pieces of law. These include an investigatory powers bill, introducing more surveillance powers, and a counter-terrorism bill.