Families of missing Syria girls speak of anger at police

The families of the London schoolgirls who ran away to Syria to join Islamic State have spoken of their anger towards police for failing to warn them that their daughters were in danger of being radicalised.

Amira Abase and Shamima Begum, both 15, and 16-year-old Kadiza Sultana boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Gatwick to Istanbul on February 17 and police believe the trio have now crossed the Turkish border into Syria.

Amira's father, Abase Hussein, wept as he told ITV News a police letter warning of the threat should have been sent straight to the families.

Instead it was given to the girls by their school to take home. They hid it in their textbooks while plotting their escape to Syria.

Relatives believe the girls would still be in the UK if they had received the letter.

The Metropolitan Police said there was nothing to suggest the girls were at risk and that their disappearance had come as a great surprise.

ITV News' UK Editor, Rohit Kachroo, reports: