UK man gets life for trying to form 'army' of child terrorists

A British man who used his role as an unqualified teacher at an Islamic school to try and recruit an "army" of children to commit terror attacks was today handed a life sentence.

Umar Ahmed Haque, 25, will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail after being found guilty at London's Old Bailey of trying to radicalise scores of children to commit a mass attack on businesses and communities in London.

Haque, from east London, showed pupils the religious school, known as a madrasa, videos of "extreme terrorist violence" and made them "roleplay terrorists" stabbing police officers.

Accomplices, Abuthaher Mamun, 29, and Muhammad Abid, 27, were sentenced to 13 years and 4 years respectively.

"I welcome today's sentences, which have ensured that three men complicit in a plot to radicalise vulnerable young children and use them to attack businesses and communities in London are now in prison," said Dean Haydon from London's Metropolitan Police.

"He (Haque) wanted to orchestrate numerous attacks at once, using guns, knives, bombs and large cars to kill innocent people.

"He intended to execute his plan years later, by which time he anticipated he would have trained and acquired an army of soldiers, including children."