Cleric held over race hate tapes

A London-based Islamic cleric who preaches death to Jews and infidels has been arrested and accused of inciting racial hatred.

Self-styled "sheikh" Abdullah el-Faisal was detained in a raid on his Ilford home yesterday by anti-terrorist officers after the discovery of audio tapes in which the Jamaicanborn father of four - formerly known as William Forest - teaches schoolchildren to fire a Kalashnikov. He is being held on suspicion of "soliciting to murder".

One of the £2 tapes has a picture of the World Trade Center in flames on its cover. Another urges young extremists to wage a holy war against Jews and the West. In one tape-recorded speech el-Faisal tells an audience of British schoolboys: "All of you sitting down in front of me are soldiers. Is it sensible for you to be a soldier and you don't know how to shoot a Kalashnikov?"

The Islam convert has been under investigation by Scotland Yard for several weeks, following protests by MPs. El-Faisal, 38, addresses his followers at the Jagonari educational centre in Whitechapel every Saturday. His tapes are on sale at the Muslim Information Services bookshop opposite the Finsbury Park mosque.