LEADING Thurrock councillors have thrown their weight behind a call for the borough council to create committee to combat extremism, radicalisation and terrorism.

The idea, which would see Thurrock replicate a number of other councils who have already created 'Prevent' committees, was the subject of a successful motion by Conservative councillor Alex Anderson at January's meeting of the full council earlier this year.

Cllr Anderson's motion said: "Given the great importance the Conservative government has placed on the 'prevent' agenda in terms of countering extremism, and the need to consider all of the human trafficking and modern day slavery implications of illegal entry and unaccompanied asylum seeking children, especially in areas with a large waterfront or port industry, the chamber wishes to have an appropriate member's forum for 'prevent'.

"Therefore, following the procedure used to constitute the Corporate Parenting Committee as a formal Council Committee, we instruct the monitoring officer to present relevant terms of reference for the next meeting of the Full Council to help better protect our communities and those who come into our care."

That process was rubber-stamped at the recent meeting of the council's general services committee (GSC).

The Prevent strategy was created and published by the Government in 2011, to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism.

GSC committee chairman Rob Gledhill, said: "We could add an extra part of the purpose to support tackling criminal gang associations too. If you think of the amount of problems that these criminal gangs cause not just for younger people, but also for older people caught up in that gang lifestyle.

"If we are trying to prevent people trying to get into extremism and into terrorist groups that are going to cause us problems why shouldn't we also looking to prevent children getting into that gang lifestyle and gang associations because let's face it we read and see on the news every single day another life lost or permanently ruined, not necessarily in Thurrock but certainly our neighbours in London."

Labour group leader John Kent feared an extra committee would be counter-productive. He said: "I think we are in danger of listening to a resolution of council that wanted to get work done on the Prevent agenda and are now trying to add other things to it that water down and dilute the very purpose of the committee.

"I also think it runs the danger of having things like gang crime, things that we know are incredibly serious issues now falling between three different scrutiny committees rather than just the two they fall between now. I just think it fragments things even further."

Despite the concerns, councillors agreed the additional duties and will present the proposals to full council.