The Southport killer is being treated as a terrorist, the Government has confirmed, as a review identified a string of missed opportunities to spot his obsession with extremism.

Rudakubana was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest minimum terms on record – for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year.

Evil Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme three times, but his case was not referred upwards