GETTY The offices of MI6 in London

FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter fornow We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Counter terror chiefs intend to make it mandatory that those with extremist leanings, as well as those who have fought for Islamist ideologies, are given psychological treatment. An average of 11 referrals are made in the UK each day for people within the country, the youngest was a four year old boy. According to figures, almost 4,000 people were referred to the UK de-radicalisation scheme last year. Among those who accessed treatment via the prison, education and NHS services were 68 children aged nine and under.

Getty Home Secretary Amber Rudd with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

Government figures now want to make it law for these people to attend the sessions. The most up to date figures show 3,955 people reported to the Government's ‘Channel programme’ in 2015, up from 1,681 in 2014. At least 800 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Syria and Iraq. Half have since returned to the UK. The Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, in the Home Office, aims to thwart the threat from terrorism.

The threat to the UK and our interests from international terrorism is severe UK Government

Their work is covered in the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. In its most up to date guidance they warn that the biggest threat to the UK is currently from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It says: "The threat to the UK and our interests from international terrorism is severe. "This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely. "The terrorist threats we face now are more diverse than before, dispersed across a wider geographical area, and often in countries without effective governance. "We therefore face an unpredictable situation, with potentially more frequent, less sophisticated terrorist attacks. "The most significant terrorist threat to the UK and our interests overseas comes from the Al Qaida senior leadership based in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan and their affiliates and supporters in other areas."

GETTY ISIS fighters returning from Syria to the UK will get treatment