The distraught mother of convicted Neo-Nazi Oliver Bel today blamed possible far-right online “groomers” for taking advantage of her “vulnerable” son. 

Speaking exclusively to the JC, Mr Bel’s visibly shaken mother, Carolyn, spoke of her shock at her son’s actions.

When asked if she had any idea what lay behind her son’s Neo-Nazi views she replied: “I don’t know myself”.

Communicating through the half-opened front door of her new build semi-detached home in Little Hulton, Greater Manchester, Mrs Bel added: “We are not like that. I think it’s that he’s vulnerable. He’s got autism and he was lonely and going online.

“He’s got Aspergers and I think people took advantage of him online over time.

“He was not like that living with us. It happened in the last two years. He had a normal upbringing. I’m sorry, I can’t say any more.”

The JC previously reported that Mr Bel was known as a “charming” young man by his university contemporaries, according to a contact from his campus days.

The former Cambridge student read maths at Pembroke College, where he was “pretty charming to everyone and his more radical views are not things you would necessarily pick up if you met him socially,” the source said.

He stood trial at Manchester Crown Court this month, accused of possessing a copy of the Anarchist's Cookbook – a bomb-making manual. 

He was found guilty of possessing a document containing information useful to terrorism, an offence punishable by up to 15 years behind bars.

The court heard that in a Facebook post, he had written: "I just want to go on a killing spree."

Jurors were also told that he had posted: “Hate them Jews, kill them all then kill all n******”.

Police raided his home in Salford in 2019 and found a copy of the Anarchist’s Cookbook as well as books about Adolf Hitler.

A swastika and recordings of conversations about race were discovered on his phone, jurors were told.