May must fund visits to terror suspect

The man, referred to only as CD, was moved to a Midlands city after security services named him as the leading figure in “a close group of Islamic extremists based in north London”.

The High Court will decide whether to uphold the control order used by the Home Secretary to ban the father-of-two from London next month but in the meantime has ordered Mrs May to contribute towards his family’s travel costs.

The bill for the three-hour coach journey for family members to visit the terror suspect, who has joint UK-Nigerian nationality, can reach £40 a trip, with taxi expenses on top, the court heard.

MI5 reports said CD had trained alongside the men behind the 21/7 bomb plot and attempted to obtain firearms.

In a written statement to MPs, Mrs May said the judge “found that the Secretary of State should contribute to the travel costs of CD’s family”.

She added: “He made clear that the finding in this case does not mean that a contribution to travel costs should be made in every case of relocation.”

The statement came as the Home Secretary said the number of terror suspects subject to control orders has increased to 12, with two of these orders having been served since the last quarterly update to MPs.

In the judgment on CD’s travel costs, Mr Justice Simon said: “The reason why CD’s family have to travel to the relocation place has nothing to do with them, and I can see no reason why the costs of visits should fall on them.

“In the present case I am satisfied that this would provide a proportionate and appropriate way of reducing the onerous and isolating effect of the relocation obligation.”

The relocation powers are being ditched by the coalition under new terrorist prevention and investigation measures.