A BLACKBURN boy behind a terrorist plot in Australia had been on a de-radicalisation programme led by the police for almost two years, it has emerged.

The 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to encouraging an Islamic State-style terror attack aimed at murdering police officers during Australia’s Anzac Day memorial parade.

Further details have now emerged about the boy, who was 14 when he exchanged messages with 18-year-old Australian man Sevdet Besim.

He was referred to the Channel Project in November, 2013, due to erratic behaviour at school and concerns over the boy’s views on jihadism.

The project was launched in November, 2009, with Blackburn and Burnley two of 28 national pilot schemes first unveiled six years ago.

It encourages people to report any worrying behaviour around extremism to a special hotline and came after concerns that neighbours of the 7/7 bombers in Leeds had suspicions, but didn’t report anything to the police.

At the time the Channel Project was launched, Inspector Paul Goodall, who was the co-ordinator for East Lancashire, said: “We are looking at people who would not normally come on to our radar.

“In their behaviour they may not actually be doing anything wrong, but if we have concerns about how they could develop, it is our role to engage with that person.

“The Channel Project is all about supporting vulnerable individuals.”

After being reported to Channel, police carry out background checks on individuals before a panel meets to decide what, if any, action should be taken, and it’s believed that in the case of the Blackburn boy police did visit his home address at the time.

Interventions can then range from a chat to a counselling process.

It has also emerged that the Anzac Day plot came to light after the boy was arrested earlier this year for making threats at his school, and a search of his mobile phone uncovered evidence of the communications with Besim.

On Thursday the boy pleaded guilty when he appeared at the Old Bailey, via video link from Manchester Crown Court.

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.

Transcripts of Besim’s alleged exchanges with the boy have emerged in Australian media reports.

According to the reports, the alleged plot was uncovered by secret surveillance of Besim – a friend of another teenager, Numan Haider, who was shot dead after being suspected of threatening Australian prime minister Tony Abbott.

Communications allegedly revealed Besim was planning to target police and intelligence officers with firearms and “a massive machete”.

The boy urged him on and suggested videotaping the attack and sending it to an IS recruiter.

He will be sentenced in Manchester on September 3.