Missing Bradford family were stopped from leaving UK in March

The UK needs "a hotline" to Turkey so authorities can communicate more effectively when Britons who are suspected of attempting to cross over to Syria are missing, according to MP Keith Vaz.

Speaking after he met with the husbands of two of the three Bradford sisters who are feared to have travelled through Turkey to link up with terror group Islamic State, Vaz said Britain had to "sharpen up our act" in order to stop more people travelling to Syria.

The chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee said: "I still think we need to sharpen up our act as far as contacting the Turkish authorities are concerned. Turkey has always been very responsive but there's still this desire to send emails. Well, you know, you can't.

"We are dealing now with life-and-death situations where you have to pick up a phone, a hotline, between the United Kingdom and Istanbul and tell the authorities that people are missing, get photographs to them as soon as possible, because this repeats a pattern that we've seen before with Bethnal Green and the three young girls there."

Vaz is due to meet with police tomorrow to discuss the Bradford sisters' case after their family accused police of being "complicit in the grooming and radicalising" of the women.

The family of three British sisters from Bradford who are believed to have travelled to Syria with their nine children have condemned their actions.

Sugra, Zohra and Khadija Dawood were meant to return home on March 19 after a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

The missing Bradford 12 are all 'doing okay', according to one of the sisters who has made contact with family members back home.

It is thought at least one of the 12 is now in Syria but it remains unclear where the others are at this moment.

Tonight, it emerged the family were stopped from getting on a flight to Saudi Arabia in March but police will not confirm the reasons behind it.

ITV News UK Editor Rohit Kachroo reports:

The missing Bradford family did not even make it past immigration when they tried to travel to Saudi Arabia in March, according to the taxi firm who took them to the airport.

Awais Ali, who took the booking, told ITV News the family were dropped off at Manchester Airport in the morning.

But about five hours later, he said a male family member who had not gone on the trip asked if a minibus could pick them up again.

Mr Ali said: "I asked him why. He was upset, he was crying.

"He said they were not allowed to travel because one of their guys had gone to Syria, and for that reason they can't travel. I don't think they even went past immigration."

The Bradford sisters missing with their nine children were stopped from leaving the UK earlier this year, ITV News has learned.

It is understood the family were prevented from travelling to Saudi Arabia in March and their flights were rebooked for May.

There is no suggestion the women were intending to travel to Syria at that time and police are trying to work out when the trip was planned.

UK Editor Rohit Kachroo tweeted:

One of three missing sisters has contacted her family in Bradford with information suggesting they may have already crossed the border into Syria, police have said.

West Yorkshire Police said: "Contact has been made by one of the missing women and there is an indication that they may have already crossed the border into Syria but this is uncorroborated."

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "We are extremely concerned for the safety of this family, especially the nine children aged between 3-15 years.

"The family have reached out to Khadija, Sugra and Zohra, in the hope that they hear their messages and we encourage them to make contact with us so we can return them and the children safely to their families who are extremely worried about them."

A senior Islamic figure has called on Muslims to stop "endlessly pointing the fingers at others" and said communities should take responsibility for radicalisation.

Manzoor Moghal, Chairman of the Muslim Forum, said eagerness to pass the buck was "hypocritical" and allowed extremism "to flourish".

His comments come after two husbands made an emotional appeal to their wives who are believed to have fled to Syria to return to Bradford.

Writing for the Daily Mail, Mr Moghal said: "Instead of endlessly pointing the finger at others, Muslim communities should face up to their own responsibilities.

"Meanwhile, for misguided mothers like the Dawood sisters, the Isis drive for a caliphate seems to hold out the prospect of raising children in a pure Muslim society, untainted by any western influences. This is the kind of nonsense that other Muslims have to confront. It is no use blaming the police or the Government or foreign policies.

"This is a Muslim problem - and British Muslims have to address it rather than abdicating their responsibilities."

Neighbours have identified this man as the brother of the three women thought to have fled to Syria with their nine children.

It is thought that police were already concerned about his whereabouts.

The family's lawyer has urged him to get in touch and send them back if they have crossed the Syrian border.

The three sisters and their nine children flew from Manchester to Saudi Arabia on May 28 to visit the burial place of the Prophet Muhammed in Medina.

They have not been heard from since June 9 and were due to return home on June 11.

ITV News revealed they took a flight to Istanbul a week ago. Now their family fear they may have crossed the border into Syria.

What the families would not discuss are claims a brother of the three woman is already in Syria, having fled there several months ago.

ITV News UK Editor Rohit Kachroo reports: