FATHER OF BOY, 10, QUESTIONED BY POLICE FOR 'TERRORIST' HOUSE BRANDS 'JOKE'

 

Father of Muslim boy, 10, questioned by police for saying he lived in 'terrorist' house brands it a 'joke'

 

 Critics say dozens of children have been investigated since schools became obliged to report any suspicious activity

  A Muslim boy has been quizzed by police after mistakenly writing that he lived in a 'terrorist house' rather than a 'terraced house'.

The 10-year-old made the error during an English lesson at a primary school in Accrington, Lancashire, and the following day officers arrived at his home to interview him and examine the family laptop.

Speaking to the BBC, the boy's family said the incident on December 7 had shocked them and asked for the police and school to apologise.

His cousin, who has not been named to protect his identity, said: 'You can imagine it happening to a 30-year-old man, but not to a young child.

'We’re absolutely disgusted that this has happened to our family.

 "He became more isolated, he wasn’t talking to anybody at that time, he wasn’t sleeping or eating properly, he was just hiding away under a blanket.

'If the teacher had any concerns it should have been about his spelling.

'They shouldn't be putting a child through this. He's now scared of writing, using his imagination.'

She added that she initially thought the incident had been a joke.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act was brought in last year and means schools have a statutory duty to prevent youngsters from being radicalised.

However opponents to the act have argued the law forces teachers and school officials to forego common sense and overact for fear of breaking the law.

Miqdaad Versi, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said he was aware of dozens of cases similar to that of the schoolboy.

'There are huge concerns that individuals going about their daily life are being seen through the lens of security and are being seen as potential terrorists rather than students,' he said.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police told MailOnline: 'This was reported to the police but was dealt with by a joint visit by a PC from the division and social services, not by anyone from Prevent.

'There were not thought to be any areas for concern and no further action was required by any agency.'