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Shutterstock/NIPAPORN PANYACHAROEN

Four-year-old who mispronounced 'cucumber' sparked radicalisation fear

The incident happened at a nursery in England.

A YOUNG BOY’S family have claimed that nursery staff in Luton, England said he should be referred to a counter-terrorism project for mispronouncing the word ‘cucumber’ as ‘cooker bomb’.

Concerns were raised after the four-year-old drew a picture of a man cutting the vegetable with a knife, BBC News reports.

The incident was referred to a police and social services panel instead of the de-radicalisation scheme Channel. No further action was taken.

The boy’s mother told the BBC Asian Network: “[The member of staff] kept saying it was this one picture of the man cutting the cucumber….which she said to me is a ‘cooker bomb’, and I was baffled.”

She shared footage of her son pronouncing ‘cucumber’:

Guardian Wires / YouTube

A spokesperson for the nursery told the Guardian: “Under statutory guidance, as reflected by our own safeguarding policies, early years providers are required to record – and if necessary, report – any incidents that they feel may warrant further attention or discussion.”

Since July teachers in the UK are legally obliged to report any concerns of extremist behaviour to the authorities.

Read: Man jailed for three years for saying women cheat on their husbands

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