White boy, 12, suspected of being Islamic extremist recruit after he showed beheading videos to classmates

The child, who has only been identified by the initials BC, was reported by his school in West Yorkshire after he was found circulating video clips of terrorists beheading Westerners.

Sick films were distributed to classmates on their mobile phones, prompting a teacher to march the boy to the local police station.

Sick: The boy sent the horrifying videos to classmates on their mobile phones

Police revealed the child arrived in Britain as an asylum seeker in July 2005, and at the age of eight allegedly assisted a nine-year-old and a 12-year-old boy in the forced rape of his sister, although he was never prosecuted.

West Yorkshire Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison revealed: 'The white child that we are working with has been downloading Jihadist beheading videos and circulating them around school.

'That was bad enough, but he also has an unnatural interest in guns and weapons. He spoke openly of his wish to be a sniper and spoke of his curiosity of what it would be like to kill someone.'

Sir Norman described BC as an 'angelic looking boy' and a police mugshot shown to delegates depicted a fair-haired child so short that his face was barely in the frame of the camera.

'He is at risk of being a violent young man and a threat to society,' the chief constable said.

'He is not a Muslim. He is not driven by ideology - he is too young to spell the word. But he is being influenced and intoxicated by the imagery and appeal of Jihadist and other internet violence.'

Sir Norman also warned the Association of Chief Police Officers' annual conference in Liverpool that Islamic extremism was spreading like a 'virus' and urged every parent - particularly Muslims - to address the issue with their children.

'The al Qaida brand of violent extremism continues to spread like a virus infecting young minds,' he said.

'Every young Muslim will be introduced to ideas around al Qaida and a "global struggle". I don't see how you can avoid it in 2008.'

BC is now being handled under a scheme known as the Channel Project, Sir Norman said.

Three police forces are piloting the initiative in a bid to build links with the community, including Muslims, and gather information about possible extremists.

Sir Norman said of BC: 'His schoolteacher pitched up at a local police station with him, because they were at their wits' end as to what to do with him. We are working with him (BC), and his father and his school.'

The chief constable said the pilot project, which is being operated by West Yorkshire, the Metropolitan and Lancashire forces, had been running for nine months.

The number of suspects so far uncovered was 'higher than expected', he added.

Already 124 people have been referred to the police and other agencies for attention by schools, community leaders, mosques and others.

'It is a means of bridging between the community and the police and identifying people who might be attracted to, or vulnerable to, being radicalised,' said Sir Norman.

'We are trying to intervene early. We are trying to snuff out violent extremism.'

Sir Norman said none of the 124 has been prosecuted so far because officers are attempting to avoid using anti-terror laws against anyone identified by the scheme.

'Throwing the book at them in terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act would be complete overkill,' the chief constable said.

'We are not talking about criminal actions. We are talking about vulnerable kids.'

The 12-year-old boy came from a single parent, working class family with siblings living elsewhere, said the chief constable.

'If that behaviour went unchecked we could make a case under the Prevention of Terrorism Act because of the material he had been circulating but progress is being made and he is engaging,' Sir Norman said.

Two other cases highlighted by the senior policeman were Muslim youths, known only as NH and YH, who were both 15 when they were reported by their communities because they were showing extremist and racist tendencies.

The Channel Project is being evaluated by Assistant Chief Constable Anil Patani of West Midlands Police before being considered for roll-out across England and Wales.