David Cameron has vowed to bring the killers of aid worker David Haines to justice as their second British hostage was today revealed as 47-year-old Alan Henning.

The British Islamic State militant nicknamed 'Jihadi John' warned the taxi driver, from Greater Manchester, would be the next person to die after father-of-two Mr Haines was beheaded in a disturbing video.



Mr Henning, nicknamed Gadget by colleagues who praised his sense of humour, was also an aid worker and is believed to have been working for a Muslim charity in a refugee camp.

He had felt a 'pull' to return after a previous visit and was filmed packing an aid convoy containing nappies and tinned food in Salford before he left for his latest mission.

The development came as David Cameron said today that people will be 'sickened' that the man who killed Mr Haines could be from Britain.

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'We will hunt them down': David Cameron has vowed justice against extremists who beheaded British aid worker David Haines and paraded another, Alan Henning (pictured in a Syrian refugee camp), in a video

Threat: Islamic militants warned in a chilling video that 47-year-old Alan Henning (pictured) - who is originally from the Greater Manchester area where he worked as a taxi driver - would be the next person to die Trying to help: Taxi driver Mr Henning was filmed loading aid convoys for Syria in Salford, Greater Manchester. He was nicknamed Gadget because of his love of technology and it was believed to be his second aid trip BBC documentary maker Catrin Nye said Mr Henning (right) was a married father-of-two and 'a taxi driver, not a professional aid worker', but had felt a 'pull' to return to Syria after a previous trip to a refugee camp The Prime Minister described Mr Haines as a ‘British hero’ - and warned: 'We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes.’ ISIS were ‘not Muslims they are monsters’, he said, and added that UK could not afford to ignore the severe threat the jihadists' spread posed to both world and domestic security. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next ALAN HENNING: Second British hostage facing ISIS murder... DAVID HAINES: How former RAF engineer murdered by ISIS... FAMILY TRIBUTE: Brother of ISIS beheading victim David... POLITICIANS REACT: Obama vows to destroy terror group as he...

HUNT FOR KILLER: Is the net closing on Jihadi John? Latest... Share this article Share He said: 'This is not something we can do on our own. We have to work with the rest of the world. ‘But ultimately, our security as a nation - the way we go about our everyday lives in this free and tolerate society that is Britain - has always depended on our readiness to act against those who stand for hatred and how stand for destruction. And that is exactly what we will do.’ AID AGENCY TO WITHDRAW STAFF

ACTED, the French aid agency for which Mr Haines worked, implied it is withdrawing staff from dangerous Middle East postings. Development director Frederic Roussel told a press conference in Paris: 'We are completely devastated and so are the teams. 'We have thousands of people in the world and we want to keep helping them as far as we are able to, while also paying attention to this wave of criminality which is accompanying everything that is happening in the world. 'We are beginning by changing our secutiy procedures and our teams, and unfortunately that means we will have to stop working with some populations and leave them suffering and provide them with less support and less aid.' He added: 'People across this country will be sickened by the fact that it could have been a British citizen, a British citizen, who could have carried out this unspeakable act.' Tonight David Haines' brother Mike quoted the Koran in an emotional on-camera tribute. Speaking to the BBC, he said: 'My first reaction could be one of hatred. But my brother's life wasn't about hatred. It was about love for all men. 'We hoped, we prayed in our own way. Unfortunately it was not in our hands. It was in the hands of terrorists. 'I have become aware of a number of verses in the Koran that I feel are particularly apt at this time, if I may. 'Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something that is better.' He added: 'The Muslim faith is not to blame for Isil, nor is it the fault of people of Middle Eastern descent. 'The attraction of complete control and the use of terror as an implement of operational control has a widepsread appeal to many disenfranchised people throughout society, as you can see by the amount of foreign nationals - not just British - that are fighting for Isil. 'My family and I agree with the government that we need to identify those travelling to fight with Isil and hold them responsible for their actions.'



ISIS militants have released a video which appears to show the beheading of British hostage David Haines. The Prime Minister said the aid worker had been murdered in an 'act of pure evil' and promised justice

The Prime Minister arrived back into Downing Street two hours after the video (pictured) was posted online. The killer and his hostage, who appeared to be reciting a prepared script, spoke of the PM personally Emotional: David Haines' brother quoted the Koran in a tribute to the murdered aid worker on camera tonight. He said: 'Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something that is better' Family man: Mr Haines, 44, has a teenage daughter in Scotland and a four-year-old daughter in Croatia Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has condemned the ‘act of unspeakable barbarism’. He told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘Obviously our condolences go to the families of David Haines who have borne this with such fortitude.’

The Scottish government is to convene a resilience meeting – its equivalent of Cobra – later today, to discuss how to protect the privacy of Mr Haines’ family living in Scotland and consider community relations in Scotland. ALAN HENNING: AID WORKER WHO WENT FROM MANCHESTER TO SYRIA

The latest hostage to be threatened - Alan Henning, 47, of Greater Manchester - is believed to have been working for a Muslim charity and had originally thought that he would be released by ISIS because he was only in Syria to carry out aid work. He was said to have been abducted by armed masked men who separated him from his aid worker colleagues late last year near Idlib. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office released a photograph of Mr Henning this afternoon at the request of his family, a spokesman said. He is a former taxi driver.

Middle East journalist Tam Hussein revealed Mr Henning had gone to Syria because he felt needed there - despite warnings that he should stay away. Mr Hussein told the New York Daily News: ‘Henning was told not (to go into) Syria… but insisted on going in because he had put in so much time and effort in the project.’ ‘Henning wanted to make sure aid reached the intended. Henning was genuinely trying to help the Syrian refugee crisis - nothing more. People spoke very highly of him.’

Dutch journalist Harald Doornbos added that Mr Henning was put into an ISIS jail in Al-Dana following his capture - and was later moved to the militants’ stronghold of Raqqa. ‘It is very important that we hold our communities together. The Muslim community in Scotland is not responsible in any shape and form for the atrocities in Iraq.’

Mr Salmond said he backed the Foreign Office’s efforts to support and rescue British hostages, including the refusal to pay ransoms to kidnappers. But he called for a clearer strategy to respond to the threat from ISIS, including securing agreement at the United Nations for ‘effective, legal action’.

The comments came after ISIS extremists released a video showing the beheading of Mr Haines. The aid worker was abducted by militants in Syria last year and appeared at the end of a video showing the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff earlier this month. Responding to the video last night, the Prime Minister said: 'The murder of David Haines is an act of pure evil. My heart goes out to his family who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude.' Mr Cameron added: 'We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.' The Prime Minister returned to Downing Street shortly after midnight and was expected to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency response committee in the morning. US President Barack Obama said in a statement: 'The United States strongly condemns the barbaric murder of UK citizen David Haines by the terrorist group Isil. 'Our hearts go out to the family of Mr Haines and to the people of the United Kingdom. The United States stands shoulder to shoulder tonight with our close friend and ally in grief and resolve. 'We are a peaceful people': Prime Minister David Cameron makes a statement to the media on the killing of British aid worker David Haines today in Downing Street, central London

Hostage: Mr Haines was taken while working for relief agency ACTED in Syria in March 2013

Desperate conditons: Mr Haines was working in the Atmeh refugee camp (pictured). It is in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, where Mr Henning was also believed to be when he was captured by extremists late last year

'We will work with the United Kingdom and a broad coalition of nations from the region and around the world to bring the perpetrators of this outrageous act to justice, and to degrade and destroy this threat to the people of our countries, the region and the world.'

Secretary general of Interpol Ronald K Noble said he 'strongly condemned' the murder.

He said: 'The cowardly murder of an innocent man whose humanitarian vocation was to improve the lives of others in the very region he met his brutal death is testimony to the twisted and depraved nature of the so-called Islamic State.



'The cowardly murder of an innocent man whose humanitarian vocation was to improve the lives of others in the very region he met his brutal death is testimony to the twisted and depraved nature of the so-called Islamic State'

- Ronald K Noble, secretary general, Interpol

' However long it takes, they will one day face justice for their barbaric and senseless actions.



'Interpol continues to facilitate exchanges between its 190 member countries on information relating to suspected terrorists and foreign fighters.



'But this must be complemented by efforts on the ground, including through the provision of global police tools and databases to officers on the front line.'

The French Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), for which Mr Haines worked, said it would launch an investigation into the murder on Monday.



A statement by the agency said: 'ACTED aid agency is deeply appalled and horrified by the assassination of David Haines. ACTED strongly condemns with the utmost of force these crimes.

'In this tragic moment, our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones. All of the ACTED team empathise and share their pain.

'David was a new member of the ACTED team supporting the emergency humanitarian response for the displaced Syrian people in Atmeh camp near to the Turkish border.

'David was appreciated by the ACTED team and all those around him, notably for his generosity, commitment, and his professionalism. Since his abduction, David has constantly been at the forefront of our minds and efforts. David will remain in the hearts and minds of everyone in ACTED.

'The horrible assassination of David, an aid worker, goes against all humanitarian principles and is a crime against humanity. This barbaric crime must not remain unpunished.'



Response: Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted that the murder of David Haines was 'an act of pure evil'

'Sickened': Ed Miliband said the aid worker 'was somebody whose only purpose was to help innocent people'

IS NET CLOSING ON 'JIHADI JOHN'? The British terrorist dubbed 'Jihadi John' has been described as a 'dead man walking' by commentators as the UK's security services seek to track him down and bring him to justice. But while some experts have suggested he has been identified by MI5 and MI6, his sickening appearance in this ISIS video is a reminder of how much work British agents must do before they bring his reign of terror to an end. The best hope for eliminating him may come from the skies. Last week it was revealed the US has begun using drones equipped with the latest cameras and weapons over Raqqa in northern Syria, where it is believed ISIS is holding Western hostages. It has also been reported that President Obama would approve an immediate strike on Jihadi John if drone operators reported they had found him. Intelligence experts are certain to forensically examine the latest video for new clues as to his whereabouts, including the desert background. Advertisement

The video, titled A Message to the Allies of America, began with recent news footage of Mr Cameron discussing Britain's foreign policy towards ISIS.

It then cut to the man kneeling in an orange jumpsuit in the desert. Reciting what appeared to be a prepared script, he said: 'My name is David Cawthorne Haines. I would like to declare that I hold you David Cameron entirely responsible for my execution.

'You entered voluntarily into a coalition with the United States against the Islamic State, just as your predecessor Tony Blair did, following a trend amongst our British Prime Minsters who can't find the courage to say no to the Americans.

'Unfortunately it is we the British public that in the end will pay the price for our Parliament's selfish decisions.'

The ISIS militant, who has a British accent, then said: 'This British man has to the pay the price for your promise, Cameron, to arm the Peshmerga against the Islamic State.

'Ironically he has spent a decade of his life serving under the same Royal Air Force that is responsible for delivering those arms.

'Your evil alliance with America which continues to strike the Muslims of Iraq and most recently bombed the Haditha Dam will only accelerate your destruction, and playing the role of the obedient lapdog, Cameron, will only drag you and your people into another bloody and unwinnable war.'

The footage then showed what is believed to be the body of Mr Haines.

The video was released hours after Mr Haines's family made a direct plea to his captors to contact them. His second wife, Dragana Prodanovic Haines (pictured with him), previously said she cried for her husband daily Home: The garden of the house where Mr Haines lived with his wife and four-year-old daughter in Sisak, Croatia Family home: Another view of Scottish-born David Haines' house in Croatia. He was hailed as a British hero Tragic context: A cyclist passes the unassuming home in Croatia which the aid worker shared with his wife

Another hostage, named in the video as a second Brit, is then paraded.

VIDEO DISCUSSES EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED JUST DAYS AGO The video makes explicit mention of British and US actions from around a week ago. By doing this the militants make it clear that the video has been shot in the last few days, dispelling any speculation it could have been made months ago and only released now. Such speculation had at various points surrounded the two previous beheading videos which feature 'Jihadi John'. In the latest video, the killer mentions a string of U.S. air strikes on Iraq's Haditha Dam which were carried out on September 7. The strikes were carried out to protect Iraqi forces and Sunni tribesmen who were retaining fragile control of the facility. The US has carried out more than 130 air strikes in the last month in northern Iraq. But the strike on the dam was the first in Anbar province, which is further south, indicating an escalation of the conflict. The video also mentions David Cameron's promise to send weapons to the Peshmerga, who are armed Kurdish fighters defending strongholds in northern Iraq. The Prime Minister revealed the British government was arming the Kurds in a statement to MPs on September 8. He said the UK 'will continue to support the Kurds, including by providing them with arms and training their troops'.


The militant adds: 'If you, Cameron, persist in fighting the Islamic State then you like your master Obama, will have the blood of your people on your hands.'

Before Mr Cameron's apparent confirmation of the murder, the Foreign Office said it was 'working urgently to verify' the video, which was removed from YouTube within minutes.

A spokesman said: 'If true this is another disgusting murder. We are offering the family every support possible. They ask to be left alone at this time.'

A statement on YouTube said the video had been removed 'as a violation of YouTube's policy on shocking and disgusting content.'

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: 'I am sickened at the disgusting, barbaric killing of David Haines.

'He was somebody whose only purpose was to help innocent people, themselves victims of conflict.'

'That Isil (ISIS) would choose to kill him says everything about their warped logic and murderous ways.

'Acts like this will not weaken but strengthen the resolve of Britain and the international community to defeat Isil and their ideology.

'My deepest condolences and thoughts are with his family as they cope with this terrible crime. And the hearts of the British people will go out to them.'



Labour MP Mike Gapes, a former chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, called for 'decisive' action against the extremists.

'Clear IS have now declared war on UK citizens,' he wrote on Twitter. 'Our UK government and people must now act decisively against IS in Iraq Syria and worldwide.'

Shadow international development minister Jim Murphy encouraged voters to respond by giving money to the kind of aid operation that Mr Haines had been working on when he was snatched.

'After brutal murder of aid worker David Haines, UK Govt will consider its response,' he wrote. 'You can too by donating to any charity working in Syria.'

Militants from ISIS have beheaded two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, posting the evidence online in gruesome videos featuring a masked jihadist with a British accent.

The Prime Minister said tonight the killing of David Haines 'is an act of pure evil', adding: 'We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers'. No 10 has not ruled out airstikes on ISIS militants

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (left) previously said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was doing everything it could to protect Mr Haines. Barack Obama (right) has authorised U.S. air strikes in Syria

In the video showing Mr Foley's killing, Mr Sotloff was paraded before the camera. Then, in the video which showed the murder of Mr Sotloff, Mr Haines was paraded in the same way.

TIMELINE OF ISIS ATROCITIES November 2012: James Foley kidnapped by ISIS militants while reporting in Syria March 2013: David Haines taken hostage while working for relief agency ACTED in Syria. He was captured near the Atmeh refugee camp, just inside the Syrian border with Turkey. August 2013: Steven Sotloff captured in northern Syria. It is believed he was captured near the city of Aleppo. August 2014: Video posted online showing the execution of James Foley by his ISIS captors. The video was posted online on August 19. September 2014: Video emerged showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff. The footage was released on September 2. September 2014: Days after the video was posted of Mr Sotloff's death, the Pentagon revealed it had launched a failed attempt to resuce a number of hostages held in Syria. These included James Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines. September 2014: Militants released a video showing the murder of David Haines. It was posted online on September 14.


Mr Foley's mother Diane told The Mail on Sunday: 'I am so, so sorry. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Haines family. I was horrified when I heard the news and so very sad for them.'

The latest video was released hours after Mr Haines's family made a direct plea to his captors to contact them.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office released the statement late on Friday night after saying the extremists had not responded to any such attempts so far.

The statement on behalf of the family released by the FCO said: 'We are the family of David Haines.

'We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us.'

Mr Cameron has also refused to rule out air strikes against ISIS militants.

A spokesman said on Thursday: 'In terms of air power, the prime minister has not ruled anything out and that is the position'.

The statement came a day after President Obama said he had authorised US airstrikes for the first time in Syria, along with further attacks in Iraq.

In a widely-anticipated 13-minute White House speech, he said he would hunt down ISIS militants 'wherever they are' in a drive to degrade and ultimately destroy the group, which has seized broad stretches of Iraq and Syria.

'That means I will not hesitate to take action against Isil (ISIS) in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.'

President Obama asked Congress for £300million to train and arm 'moderate' Syrian rebels. The training would take place in Saudi Arabia.

Videos: Officials believe an ISIS terrorist known as 'Jihadi John' was responsible for the killing of two U.S. journalists, James Foley (pictured) and Steven Sotloff, before threatening that Mr Haines would be next

Killed: Also beheaded by ISIS militants was the U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff, pictured 'THE LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY' WHO WAS HAPPIEST WHEN HELPING OTHERS: THE HEARTRENDING TRIBUTE PAID BY MR HAINES'S BROTHER Mr Haines's brother, Mike, paid tribute to him last night, saying: 'My name is Mike Haines, I am brother to David Haines, who was recently murdered in cold blood. 'David was like so very many of us, just another bloke. Born in 1970 to parents who loved us both, our childhood was centred around our family. Holidays in caravans and tents, days away as a family which we remember fondly. Proud father: David Haines was an enthusiastic humanitarian, his brother has said 'David and I were brought up to know right from wrong, although we might not with the innocence of youth have always chosen right. 'David was a good brother, there when I needed him and absent when I didn't. I hope that he felt the same way about me. 'He was, in the right mood, the life and soul of the party and on other times the most stubborn irritating pain in the ass. He would probably say the same about me. 'After leaving school he worked with the Royal Mail before joining the RAF as an aircraft engineer. 'He married his childhood sweetheart Louise and in the due process of time had a wee lass Bethany. He was – and no doubt wherever he is – exceptionally proud of Bethany. 'David served with the UN in the Balkans, helping people in real need. There are many accolades from people in that region that David helped. He helped whoever needed help, regardless of race, creed or religion. 'During this time David began to decide that humanitarian work was the field he wanted to work in. 'David left the RAF and was employed by Scotrail. As with every job, David entered into it with enthusiasm. David met and married his second wife Dragana and they have a four year old daughter Athea. 'David was most alive and enthusiastic in his humanitarian roles. His joy and anticipation for the work he went to do in Syria is for myself and family the most important element of this whole sad affair. He was and is loved by all his family and will be missed terribly.' A second statement by Mike Haines on Sunday evening said: 'Our brother, son, father, nephew, husband and friend was brutally and cold-bloodedly murdered by ISIL after being held hostage since March 2013. 'In that time we have been in constant contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the police and other authorities.

'We have, as a family, received all the support and cooperation that could under the circumstances be given.

'We can only praise and give our thanks to the agencies who have helped us during our time of need.

'We agree with the Government in that ISIL are extremely dangerous, and pose a threat to every nation, every religion, every politics and every person.

'Radicalisation remains the biggest threat to the wholesale safety of every person in the world. Increasingly we are seeing more and more radicalisation in every walk of life.

'It is not a race, religion or political issue, it is a human issue and it is in our everyday lives.

'I have become aware of a number of verses in the Koran that I feel are particularly apt at this time, if I may: "Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something that is better."

'The Muslim faith is not to blame for ISIL, nor is it the fault of people of Middle Eastern descent.

'The attraction of complete control and the use of terror as an implement of operational control has a widespread appeal to many disenfranchised throughout society, as you can see by the amount of foreign nationals, not just British, fighting for ISIL.

'We need as a society to look at how we deal with this problem. My family and I agree with the Government that we need those travelling to fight for ISIL and on their return to the UK face the consequences of their actions.'


LIFE OF FATHER-OF-TWO FROM SCOTLAND WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO PROMOTING PEACE IN PLACES OF VIOLENT CONFLICT The British father-of-two murdered at the hands of ISIS fanatics spent his career as an aid worker helping to protect innocent civilians across the Third World. For more than two decades, David Cawthorne Haines travelled with aid agencies through Syria, Libya, the former Yugoslavia and South Sudan. He dedicated his life to promoting peace in places of violent conflict and oversaw projects to save civilians from land mines. The 44-year-old was described as a hero by his family, who were inspired by him to travel the world on further aid missions. He had a teenage daughter in Scotland from a previous marriage with his first wife, and a four-year-old daughter, Athea, in Croatia from his second wife. Mr Haines was born in Holderness in East Yorkshire and brought up in Perth by his parents Herbert, 77, and Mary, 79, who now live in Ayr. He studied at Perth Academy before joining the military aged 17. According to his online CV he spent 11 years in the military, holding 'various positions covering security and threat assessments in a number of different countries' between 1988 and 1999. It did not specify with which armed forces he served, although the ISIS video claimed he had been in the Royal Air Force. Despite getting married to his first wife when he was 22 – and having his first daughter five years later – Mr Haines was determined to continue working across the world to help civilians trapped in war-torn countries. Between 1999 and 2004, he was at a German NGO helping to revive abandoned villages and to return refugees to their homes after the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. The work led to swift promotion and he left a few years later to become an independent consultant, spreading his experience in dealing with security to various charities and organisations. He worked as a consultant director for manufacturing company Astraea, based in Croatia, and went to Libya three years ago, working with Handicap International on demining programmes. The charity said Mr Haines had worked as 'a humanitarian' since 1999, helping people in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. A year later, the aid worker travelled to South Sudan, where he was a security manager for Nonviolent Peaceforce, a civilian peacekeeping group. Wanting more freedom and a shorter-term contract, Mr Haines left to join French non-governmental organisation ACTED, or the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, which works to support civilians affected by wars, natural disasters and economic and social crises. Mr Haines met his wife, Dragana Prodanovic Haines, 45, when she was working as a translator. At the time, Mr Haines was helping refugees return to their homes after the Balkans war. The couple ran a supplies business from their home near Zagreb, where friends said their relationship was 'a true love story' and they were ecstatic when she became pregnant with their daughter at the age of 41. The couple, who married in Croatia in 2010 in a ceremony in which Mr Haines wore a kilt, were due to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary in November. Earlier this month, she described how she 'cries every day' for her husband, but has yet to tell their child of his capture. He was with ACTED in Syria – whom he had been working for for just ten days - when he was kidnapped with a colleague, Italian aid worker Federico Motka, 31, in March last year by IS forces near the Atmeh refugee camp, by the Turkish border. Mr Motka was released in May, after a ransom was paid. Mr Haines's plight came to light at the end of a video showing the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff earlier this month. He was being held by a group that included at least one of the British jihadis linked to the kidnap and killing of James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who have been nicknamed 'The Beatles'. Reports from those with connections to the militants said Haines developed vomiting and diarrhoea. He was also said to have been beaten so badly that his kidnappers were forced to arrange medical treatment. Advertisement





The murder of aid worker David Haines is the third such killing to be filmed and released by ISIS. Here is a timeline of events, starting with the days leading up to the death of the first hostage, US journalist James Foley.

Summer 2014 - A rescue mission fails to free Mr Foley from a secret location where he is being held by ISIS. The American freelance journalist, 40, was captured two years earlier.

August 13 : Mr Foley's family receive a message that he will be killed.

August 19 : al-Furqan Media, which is controlled by the terror group, releases a video appearing to show Mr Foley's killing. His death apparently happened at some time in the previous week. Social media bosses are forced to act swiftly in banning both the video and still images of the beheading, while concerns mount for fellow reporter and captive Steven Sotloff, who is seen pleading for the US to stop air strikes in Iraq at the end of the video.

August 20 : David Cameron cuts short a family holiday in Cornwall to hold meetings in Downing Street over the 'shocking and depraved' murder. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama remains defiant over his country's war on terror. He says: 'We will be vigilant and we will be relentless.'

August 21 : The killer is reported to be a British man who goes under the moniker 'Jihadi John'.

August 24 : The Government comes under pressure to strip British jihadists of their citizenship as reports emerged that MI5 and MI6 have now identified the apparently British killer behind the horrific murder.

August 25 : Shadow Home Office minister David Hanson repeats Labour's call for the return of control orders - which bans terror suspects from areas and restricts certain freedoms. They were previously abolished by Home Secretary Theresa May in favour of Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims).

August 26 : President Obama states his determination to quash IS, previously known as ISIL, but says a response to Mr Foley's death may take some time. He says: 'Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy and it won't be quick.'

August 27 : General Sir Richard Shirreff, who stepped down from his post as Nato deputy supreme commander earlier this year, says nothing should be ruled out in the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria.

September 2 : Mr Cameron condemns the 'disgusting and despicable' video apparently showing Mr Sotloff wearing an orange jumpsuit and being beheaded by ISIS militants. The alleged killer speaks with a British accent, prompting suggestions he is the man who murdered Mr Foley. It emerges that a British hostage, now known to be aid worker David Haines, is also under threat.

September 3 : Following a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee, Mr Cameron tells MPs in the House of Commons that Britain 'will never give in to terrorism'. He insists Britain will refuse to pay ransoms to terrorists in return for the release of hostages.

September 4 : At the start of a Nato summit in Wales, leaders of the Western alliance show a united front in response to terror threats. Mr Cameron and Mr Obama insist they will not weaken in the face of threats from IS terrorists. The Prime Minister refuses to rule out joining the US in air strikes on IS. He says Britain must 'use everything we have in our armoury' to squash the terrorists out of existence.

September 5 : Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond joins Mr Cameron in saying the Government will not hold back on launching air strikes, and says threats on Mr Haines's life by his captors will not deter the UK from taking action. The Nato summit ends with a pledge to "degrade and defeat" IS militants.

September 7 : On his return from Wales, Mr Obama says he is to begin laying out a strategy to defeat IS militants. In England, chancellor George Osborne says the Government 'reserves the right to take action' to stem any immediate humanitarian crisis on the ground in Iraq, although he says the Government is not at yet at the stage of agreeing targeted air strikes.

September 8 : Mr Cameron tells MPs they will have an opportunity to vote on whether to join the US in any military action.

September 9 : Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirms Britain will supply £1.6 million of machine guns and ammunition to Kurdish forces fighting IS militants in northern Iraq as part of a burgeoning international effort to drive back the jihadists .

September 10 : Mrt Obama authorises air strikes inside Syria for the first time as well as an expansion of strikes in Iraq. Earlier, during a visit to Baghdad, US secretary of state John Kerry says that neither his country nor the rest of the world would stand by and watch the IS militant group spread its evil.

September 11 : Mr Obama's plans are welcomed by Mr Cameron, though Downing Street again insists the UK is 'not at the stage' of joining them in military action.

September 12 : In a rare move, Europe minister David Lidington is summoned to Parliament to explain the Government's stance on tackling terror. He insists Mr Hammond had deliberately not ruled anything out when he answered reporters' questions about the UK's plans.

September 13 : A video showing the murder of British aid worker Mr Haines is released. The video, which involves the 44-year-old saying Mr Cameron and Tony Blair should be held responsible for his death, is widely condemned. It comes hours after Mr Haines's family issue a plea to his captors to contact them. The clip also includes a threat to kill a second British hostage.

September 14 : Mr Cameron calls an emergency meeting of its Cobra committee in the wake of the murder.