Wycombe is “disproportionately” featured in Thames Valley Police’s counter-terrorism work, the force’s most senior officer has warned.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said more needs to be done to dissuade young people from the notion that fleeing the country to join extremists is “exciting”.

Ch Con Thornton addressed politicians at a Wycombe District Council meeting on Monday evening.

During her presentation, she updated members on the “extremist” situation in the town and advised how they could help police combat the problem.

Ch Con Thornton referred to three examples of young men becoming involved in terrorist activity.

She spoke of 19-year-old Yousaf Syed’s arrest when armed officers stormed a property in Desborough Avenue last month.

Mr Syed, whose home was raided six months previously, is awaiting trial after he was charged with terror offences. The trial is set for September.

Ch Con Thornton added: “Another boy who is a Wycombe boy who you might be aware of who was on Newsnight, Omar Hussain, who is out there fighting with ISIL at the moment and sending rather threatening messages back to friends back in this country.”

She also referred to Shabazz Suleman, a former Royal Grammar School pupil, who is believed to have left the country to join ISIS militants.

Ch Con Thornton added: “So having set that rather gloomy picture I wanted to say that I know that (Superintendent) Ed (McLean) and his team... met with community leaders last week and I hear that was very a constructive meeting about what can we do to dissuade our young people.”

She added: “What can we do to give people much more meaningful and appropriate goals in life? So I think that anything you can do as councillors to encourage that interaction between police and local communities and anything you can do to give people opportunities to have different ways to fulfil their desire for self-actualisation or whatever you want to call it (will help).”

Ch Con Thornton added that the police rely on information from communities and concerned parents, which can often lead to “cases that have been disrupted”.