Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has arrived at a probation hostel in north London following his release from prison.

The 51-year-old, who was jailed in 2016 for inviting support for the terror group Islamic State, left Belmarsh prison in London half way through his sentence this morning.

Later, he appeared outside the bail hostel and stayed silent as he waved to photographers and reporters.

Image: This car, believed to have been carrying Anjem Choudary, left Belmarsh this morning

The Islamist preacher qualified for automatic release after reaching the halfway point of a five-and-a-half-year sentence, when time spent on remand was taken into account.

Image: Anjem Choudary arrived at a north London address following his release from prison

For the rest of the sentence period, he will be subject to a strict supervision regime, with around 25 licence conditions.


Chris Phillips, former head of the national counter terrorism security office, said Choudary's release is a "concern" and will exhaust the resources of police and security services.

He told Sky News: "It will be difficult but this is a long-term issue.

"It's not something you can keep him on tab for a day, a week, a month.

"But of course we are talking about a long time into the future and in six months, 12 months' time he's still going to be a concern and that is a large amount of resources for the police and security services just don't have."

Image: Anjem Choudary is in a secure bail hostel following his release

Choudary, from Ilford, east London, will be supervised under the government's Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa).

Police and MI5 will be among a host of agencies involved in monitoring him in the community.

There are a number of standard requirements, including maintaining good behaviour, receiving visits from and keeping in contact with his supervising probation officer, and not travelling outside the UK without prior permission.

Image: The Islamist preacher was due for automatic release after reaching the halfway point of his sentence

In addition, he will be subject to a package of further measures.

Those measures will include:

:: Wearing a GPS enabled electronic tag

:: Night-time curfew

:: Requirements to stay within a set area

:: Only attending pre-approved mosques

:: Ban on contacting individuals he knows without prior approval

:: Ban on contacting other extremists without prior approval

:: Restrictions on the use of mobile devices and the internet

Any breach of licence conditions can result in immediate return to custody.

In a separate measure, his name has been added to a UN sanctions list, which means he is subject to an assets freeze and travel ban.

Once a leading figure in the now banned group al-Muhajiroun, Choudary has been described by security sources as the UK's most prolific terrorist recruiter and is linked to hundreds of people who left to fight on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq.

A trained solicitor, Choudary had always managed to stay just on the right side of the law, until authorities mounted a successful prosecution in 2016, using dozens of extracts from speeches and sermons he delivered over a number of years.

On Thursday, Theresa May said authorities were equipped to supervise Choudary after his release.

The prime minister said: "The police, the prison, the probation service, and other agencies have a range of powers available to them.

"They also have significant experience in dealing with such offenders."

Last week, security minister Ben Wallace said: "We are alert to the threat people like him pose and we will make sure we do what steps we need to mitigate it."