A 15-YEAR-OLD boy from Blackburn has admitted encouraging an Islamic State-inspired terror attack aimed at murdering police officers during a memorial parade in Australia.

Over a 10-day period the youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sent thousands of instant messages to 18-year-old Sevdet Besim, who shared his admiration for the Islamic terror group, the Old Bailey heard.

In one message on March 18 this year, the British boy, who was 14 at the time, said to Besim, from Melbourne: “Suggest you break into someone’s house and get your first taste of beheading.”

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Another message from the boy said he couldn’t wait to plan his own operation.

Yesterday neighbours said they were ‘astounded’ and ‘gobsmacked’ by the news.

They described the boy, who has two younger sisters and lives with his mum and dad, as coming from a ‘good family unit’.

The smartly dressed, bespectacled youngster sat next to his dad as he pleaded guilty to inciting terrorism via video link from Manchester Crown Court yesterday.

The charge states that between March 15 and March 26, 2015 he ‘incited a person to commit an act of terrorism wholly or partly outside the UK, namely the murder of police officers during an attack on a parade to commemorate Anzac Day in Australia’.

A second charge of inciting terrorism overseas in relation to beheading a person in Australia was dropped by the prosecution.

A Supreme Court judge in Australia recently released documents of the misspelt messages shared between the boy and Besim, which have been reported by the media in Australia.

In the exchanges the boy suggests he was planning his own attack, saying: “Cant wait till my op. After hundreds of plans I can plan my own.”

On March 23, as the pair discussed a beheading, he said: “...don’t underestimate de-capitation bro its hard. U gotta be a lion especially that ur doin it in public.”

The boy also instructs Besim to “start dressing like a kuffar [non-believer]”, asks him about weapons and asks if he’s “willing for a bullet to go through you”.

The court was told the two teenagers had a shared intention through their support for IS.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told the court: “This charge represents his conduct over 10 days in March 2015 in inciting an Australia-based man named Sevdet Besim to commit an act of terrorism abroad, namely the murder of police officers during an attack upon a parade to commemorate Anzac Day in Melbourne.

“The evidence of this plot derives from literally thousands of instant messages between the defendant and Sevdet Besim recovered from the defendant’s mobile telephone.

“Those messages reveal the intentions of the plotters and their targets, along with their motivation which may be summarised as support for Isis and their enthusiasm for the attack.

“The messages also set out the plotters’ preparations for the attack. On March 18, 2015, as part of those preparations, the defendant sent Sevdet Besim a message that read, ‘suggest you break into someone’s house and get your first taste of beheading’.

“Sevdet Besim responded to say that this seemed ‘a little risky’ and that aspect of the preparations appears then to have drifted away.”

This exchange was the subject of count two on the indictment but Mr Greaney said it had been deleted because the prosecution was happy to deal with it as ‘part and parcel’ of the offence in count one.

Mr Justice Saunders ordered reports before sentencing, saying: “I want to know if there is any indoctrination or belief in this case.

“I want some assessment of that, why and how they have occurred, and what measures can be taken in order to reverse that process.”

He said the sentencing process would be ‘extremely difficult’ when it takes place on September 3.

The boy was remanded in custody at a youth detention centre until the sentencing hearing, which will take place in Manchester.

Mr Justice Saunders said he will also consider lifting an order protecting the boy’s identity, given the seriousness of the case.

One neighbour said: “They are good neighbours, a good family unit and just really nice people.

“You see quite a lot of the mum and the two girls and they are lovely people. They have taken in parcels for us and we have for them.

“They are quite well-to-do and drive nice cars. They’ve lived here for a good few years now. I’m gobsmacked, it’s a shock to everybody.”

Other neighbours also expressed their astonishment.

One, a local doctor, said: “It’s shocking, this is a peaceful neighbourhood, the children all play out with each other and you keep your doors open. It’s scary.”

One resident who had lived in the area for 13 years said: “It just shows you never know what is happening behind closed doors.”