COUNCIL staff in Inverclyde will be trained to spot potential jihadists.

Inverclyde Council formally agreed to adopt the PREVENT strategy today.

It will see all staff trained to spot terrorists in the public, workplace and schools.

It comes exactly a year after 22 were murdered by Manchester by Islamic extremists.

Council Leader Stephen McCabe said: “Let’s be clear, terrorism can effect Inverclyde in the way it effects Manchester. We have seen terrorism impacting small communities around the world. We have to meet our statutory responsibility and do what we can to support people. We have to ensure they’re not drawn into this world. This is something we should be fully supportive of.”

PREVENT seeks to capture prospective terrorists before they turn to violence.

Last year, Islamist attacks in the UK took 35 lives and 610 were injured.

If implemented, staff will be expected to have a “good understanding” of PREVENT and aware of how to deal with potential terrorists.

The biggest threats PREVENT identifies are radical Islam, the extreme right and sectarian groups.

The council will run a series of workshops to ensure frontline staff are trained up.

In their working lives, council staff would be asked to report any suspicions to the Prevent Professional Concerns process.

Teachers would have to report signs of terrorist sympathies if noticed amongst pupils they teach.

A filtered school internet would be expected to block out “harmful content” that could lure youngsters to radicalisation.

PREVENT demands councils do not “provide a platform” for those exuding extreme views, by blocking them from hiring venues, for example.

If the council fails any of these measures, among others, the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 allows the Secretary for State to personally intervene.

Jim MacLeod condemned the horrors of terrorism and told how more work is needing done to find out what “creates and causes” terrorism.

He added: “I’m also fearful of where this could lead, I wouldn’t like to see us become a more Orwellian society. Where does it start and where does it stop?”

Councillor Liz Robertson said: “We have made a really positive step in terms of calling this a safeguarding issue, and not profiling people who look a particular way. It’s about vulnerable people who can come in all shapes and sizes.”

Councillor Lucciano Rebecchi remarked on the importance of PREVENT.

He said: “We had a doctor work locally and tried to blow up Glasgow Airport – a man who saved life every week but had one thing he wanted to do, blow the airport up. How do you turn around and do that?”