Rasheed Benyahia was once a laughing, happy young man back-flipping his way around Birmingham. He died a jihadist. By the time he travelled to Syria everyone knew what IS was doing: rape of women, murder of hostages, street executions of Muslims who didn’t agree, and death and carnage on the streets of Europe.

 In the last year of his life they ruined him. They lured him into something that he knew little about

Didn’t Rasheed simply get what he deserved?

“People have said that to me. And, yes, he made that decision. He went and paid the consequences. If I could have got him back I remember saying to the police he should be punished. He needs to pay for the decision he has made.”

But, at the same time, she says punishment isn’t enough. There needs to be a concerted effort to find the triggers to de-programme people who have been sucked into the death cult of jihadism, she says.

“We call what happened to Rasheed radicalisation, but it is very similar to grooming," says Nicola. "His softer nature and that vulnerability was manipulated on the back off an idea: ‘This is the caliphate and if you don’t do this journey you are not a believer, not a good Muslim’.

“In the last year of his life they [recruiters] ruined him. They lured him into something that he knew little about.”

Nicola has already started her work. When, by chance, she spotted across a Birmingham street one of the young men close to Rasheed whom she long suspected of sharing his views, she didn’t run and hide.

“I went straight up to him. I was right in his face and said: ‘You obviously know about Rasheed. Do not do it to your mum. Do not do it to your family.' He kept looking, nodding."

She knows that street confrontation isn’t going to win a battle for hearts and minds, which is why she is speaking now.

“Unless we start talking to our youth and young people they are going to get those answers elsewhere - the recruiters are waiting.

“My son was a victim and I am going to end up being a victim. I refuse to be a victim to ISIS. We’re going to start talking about this.”