James Foley beheading: Hunt on for 'British' jihadist from UK homegrown gang known as 'The Beatles'

Former MI6 anti-terror chief says he is ‘sure’ masked UK jihadi who executed US journalist will be brought to justice.

18:07 21 August 2014

A former MI6 anti-terror chief has assured the public that the masked UK jihadi, who executed US journalist James Foley this week, will be identified and brought to justice.

Richard Barrett, who was head of counter-terrorism for the security services at the time of 9/11, is “sure” that the man that is now considered one of the world’s most wanted, will be taken back to Britain for trial “sooner or later.”

Mr Barratt told the Today Programme: 'They will be able to identify him, although there are four or five hundred people who have gone from all over the United Kingdom many of them have made their presence there known, and I think the community will be able recognise this person and I am sure many in the community will be keen to do so.

'I mean the intelligence community certainly but also the community from which this man comes, he will have had many acquaintances and friends in the United Kingdom and those people will wish to see him brought to justice.'

He added: 'This is probably a relatively young man and he has a relatively long life ahead of him, perhaps, if he doesn’t get killed quickly in Iraq or Syria and therefore sooner or later he is going to be vulnerable to arrest…

‘I don’t think anyone is prepared to forget this sort of crime and therefore the long arm of justice will eventually catch him.'