Heathrow Terror Suspect May Be NHS Doctor

Police are investigating whether a UK man who was held on suspicion of terror offences is an NHS doctor who led a militant group.

Officers are looking into whether the suspect, who was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, is a doctor who took a sabbatical to head the group, which shot, wounded and kidnapped a British photographer in Syria.

The 26-year-old suspect was arrested along with a British woman of the same age after arriving on a flight from Egypt into the airport.

The pair were held on suspicion of travelling to Syria to support terrorist activities.

Scotland Yard confirmed one line of enquiry was whether they were involved in the abduction of photographer John Cantlie, who had worked for The Sunday Times, and Dutchman Jeroen Oerlemans.

Both were held captive for a week, and Mr Cantlie later said one of his kidnappers had claimed to be an NHS doctor. The doctor ended up treating the photographer, who was later freed.

The suspects were taken by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command to a central London police station, where they remain in custody.

In recent months, concerns have been raised that foreign nationals are travelling to Syria with the intention of supporting jihadist movements.

In August, Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said a number of people in his constituency were travelling to the Middle Eastern state - and he expected this to increase.