Golders Green stabbing suspect was previously referred to Prevent

The man suspected of stabbing two Jewish men in north London was previously referred to the government's counter-extremism programme Prevent.

Essa Suleiman, 45, remains in police custody having been arrested on the suspicion of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in Golders Green on Wednesday morning.

The Metropolitan Police said he had been referred to Prevent - a key part of the UK's counter-terrorism strategy - in 2020 but the case was shelved later the same year.

Suleiman was born in Somalia but came to the UK lawfully as a child in the early 1990s and was now a British citizen, officials have said.

Since the incident - the latest in a string of attacks - the government has faced calls to better protect British Jews and tackle antisemitism.

The Met earlier said Suleiman had a history of serious violence and mental health issues, and may have been involved in a prior incident in south London on Tuesday.

The force said on Wednesday: "We can confirm the suspect was known to the Prevent programme and was subject to a Prevent referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year.

"Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack."

Prevent places a legal duty on public bodies to identify people who may turn to extremism. Figures including teachers, social services, faith leaders or doctors are required to refer any suspicions about people to a local Prevent body.

An assessment is then made about whether to take further action. If further action is taken, experts assess what sort of multi-agency support could benefit the individual and how best to manage risks.

The attack in Golders Green has been declared a terrorist incident.

The suspect was Tasered and repeatedly kicked in the head while being detained by two officers. Footage from the scene shows him holding onto a knife despite repeated calls to drop it.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the officers feared the man had been carrying an explosive device and continued to try and attack them as he was being detained.

The suspect was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital. He has since faced questioning by detectives while in police custody.

As part of the investigation, the Met said officers are investigating a separate altercation at an address on Great Dover Street, Southwark, earlier on Wednesday, and were searching a property in south-east London.

The two victims - 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Shine - were treated at the scene in Golders Green and remain in a stable condition in hospital.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether the Prevent programme was able to keep the public safe from extremists on Thursday afternoon.

While he cautioned that "the investigation is obviously still ongoing and we have not got all the facts yet", he said the programme was "reviewed and we made changes" following the Southport attack, in which Axel Rudakubana killed three children and injured 10 others despite being referred three times.

Sir Keir added: "We need to be open to learning any further lessons that may come out of this investigation - but we are at a very early stage at this point."

The government has announced an extra £25m in funding for increased police patrols and security in Jewish communities.

The funding will also be used to put further protections in place around synagogues, schools and community centres.

The government's terrorism adviser Jonathan Hall KC called attacks on Jewish people "the biggest national security emergency" in nearly a decade.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood disagreed with this characterisation but said the issue was an "absolute priority" for the government.

She said she accepted that security could only tackle the "end of the problem" and that more must be done to address antisemitism "at its root".

Angry protesters jeered and heckled Sir Keir when he visited Golders Green to meet Jewish volunteer organisations and first responders on Thursday.