The armed forces are now taking part in the Government's de-radicalisation Prevent programme with soldiers urged to report comrades with extremist far right tendencies, it emerged on Thursday.

The move comes after a British army corporal, who had served in Afghanistan, was convicted last year of being a member of the banned far right National Action group.

Mikko Vehvilainen was jailed for eight years in March after a court heard he had sought to use his position in the military to recruit fellow soldiers into the extremist terror network.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the military had now agreed to take part in the Prevent programme, which aims to divert people from extremist and dangerous views before they become terrorists.

Mr Basu explained that the far right was the fastest growing terrorist threat in the UK with a third of the 22 plots foiled since March 2017 associated with neo-Nazi ideologies.