Man who tried to enter Syria 'flown back to UK'

A 21-year-old man has been arrested at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terrorism, police said.

The man is believed to be Waheed Ahmed, the son of a Labour councillor, who was detained in Turkey earlier this month along with eight of his relatives as they allegedly tried to cross the border into war-torn Syria.

Greater Manchester Police said they are working to ensure the safe return of the rest of the group, which included four children aged one, three, eight and 11.

A Labour councillor's son who was detained in Turkey on suspicion of trying to enter Syria illegally is being flown back to the UK, it has been claimed. Waheed Ahmed, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and eight of his relatives were stopped by Turkish authorities as they allegedly tried to cross the border into the war-torn country on April 1.

Simon Danczuk, who is defending the Rochdale seat for Labour in the General Election, said he been told by the Foreign Office that Ahmed was due to arrive into Birmingham Airport today.

The Foreign Office said it did not comment on individual cases. Mr Danczuk could not confirm when the remaining eight Britons would return to the UK.

Waheed Ahmed - one of nine Britons detained in Turkey on suspicion of trying to travel illegally to Syria - has been deported and is believed to be on his way back to the UK.

A childhood friend of detained Briton Waheed Ahmed has spoken today about his shock at the arrest of the 21-year-old student.

Bassat Yousaf, who said he had known Ahmed, for 15 years described him as "a nice person, a really humble guy" and someone who "was just the same person that he was when he was in high school".

He said: "I didn't see any change in him whatsoever. He was a nice guy, I used to see him daily, I used to see him going up and down getting a milkshake.

"Seeing him on the news came as a shock for me. He didn't seem that kind of person. He was a family guy and not the kind of person they are talking about."

Yousaf, who said he had seen his friend collecting money for victims of the Syria conflict before he learned he had gone to Turkey, said he was "very shocked" to see the news of Ahmed's arrest after allegedly trying to cross the border and thought "he might have gone there to help".

Labour's shadow home secretary has called for more to be done to prevent Brits travelling to Syria after a "very disturbing" series of cases in recent months.

Yvette Cooper said "the police can't do it all" and called for an overhaul of the Prevent programme - which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

She added that police should be given new powers "so that anyone returning from trying to join ISIL can be required to undertake the Channel de-radicalisation programme".

After the arrest of nine Britons in Turkey, Cooper said: "The police are rightly investigating this latest case and it is particularly disturbing that children are involved. Much more needs to be done by everyone to combat extremism and radicalisation.”

Police are searching the home of a Labour councillor whose son was arrested by Turkish police allegedly attempting to enter Syria.

Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed had previously said she was "extremely upset" at the news, and had thought her son was in Birmingham.

Waheed Ahmed, a 21-year-old politics student at Manchester University, has been named tonight as one of the nine Britons arrested by Turkish authorities for attempting to cross into Syria.

His father, Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed, said he was "extremely upset" at the news and said he thought his son was in Birmingham.

Waheed was one of a group of nine Rochdale residents believed to be from the same family, and including women and children, who were stopped at the Turkey/Syria border yesterday.

ITV News Correspondent Juliet Bremner reports:

A Rochdale Iman has said the arrest of nine of the town's residents, alleged to have been trying to cross the border into Syria, was the "last thing we need".

Iman Irfan Chishti, of the Rochdale Council of Mosques, said: "We are shocked to hear this has happened in our town.

"Rochdale has had its fair share of negative publicity of late, given the grooming issue, and this is the last thing we need."

Footage has emerged that shows the Britons arrested by Turkish authorities for attempting to cross into Syria, being transported to and from the police station in the Southern Hatay province where they are believed to have been held overnight.

The group, who are from Rochdale, includes two women aged 47 and 22, three men aged 24, 22 and 21, and four children aged one, three, eight and 11, according to Greater Manchester Police.

Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed has issued a statement tonight expressing his shock at the news that his son is one of nine Britons who are currently being held in Turkey for allegedly trying to cross the border into Syria.

He said: