British jihadists may face treason charges, says Foreign Secretary

British jihadists who go to fight in Iraq or Syria could be tried for treason if they return to Britain, Philip Hammond has suggested.

Such people had "sworn personal allegiance" to Islamic State and could potentially have committed the offence, the Foreign Secretary said.

Questioning Mr Hammond in the Commons, Tory backbencher Philip Hollobone said:

Mr Hammond replied that there were "a number of offences under English law with which returning foreign fighters can be charged".

He said: "We have had a discussion about the allegiance question. We have seen people declaring that they have sworn personal allegiance to the so-called Islamic State.

"That does raise questions about their loyalty and allegiance to this country and about whether, as my honourable friend rightly says, the offence of treason could have been committed.

"I will certainly draw his remarks to the attention of the Home Secretary, who ultimately will be the person who needs to look at this."

The last prosecution for treason was in 1946, when the notorious Lord Haw Haw - real name William Joyce - was hanged for his Nazi propaganda broadcasts.

The offence remains on the statute books, even though the death penalty has been abolished.