Coronavirus conspiracy theories must be taken seriously to avoid ‘serious consequences’, extremism chief warns

Exclusive: Conspiracies can be used to 'incite hatred, violence or justifying terrorism', head of Commission for Countering Extremism tells Lizzie Dearden

Police speak to a protester as conspiracy theorists gather at Hyde Park Corner on 16 May 2020 in London (Getty)

Conspiracy theories must be tackled by the government before they can be used to spark violence and terrorism, the UK’s extremism chief has said.

Sara Khan, who leads the Commission for Countering Extremism, said the coronavirus pandemic was seeing “wacky” claims move into the mainstream and have real-world consequences.

“We’ve seen the conspiracy theories around 5G and how masts are being attacked – there are serious consequences to that,” she told The Independent.